John Hayes to (finally) retire?

Munster have no plans to extend his contract beyond the RWC according to the Irish Independent

Oh. Not surprising but it still stings

The man is simlpy a ligind - not the greatest prop ever, but still a ligind. The Bull

Well thats it Ireland have to win the world cup now.

To be honest I don't understand why so many players seem to retire form international and club/provincial rugby at the same time. Surely he still had something in to offer to Munster for a season or two. Even if it was just playing when the internationals are away.

Scarlet - Munster have another 3 tight head props and he'll be 38 years old when RWC is over. They are lads 20 years younger than him making the step up. He hasn't the legs to consistently play at that level anymore really. And he has his farm to occupy him.

Hopefully he'll pop over to the south-west, Staggy, to spend a bit more time with his wee bro

Stag - That's fair enough I guess. It just seems like a waste of his experince etc, which would have been usefully when the big names are off playing for Ireland. That said I bet he gets involved somewhere in the province. Also he has earnt his retirement, and noboday (like him or not) can really argue that.

ah, not surprising really, it's amazing he's still playing at this level at 38! Been an absolute great servant of the game for Ireland, fair play.

If ever a player deserves the title "servant to the game", it's John Hayes.

It's remarkable in this professional era to think he's been holding off the challenge from men almost 20 years his junior. Plenty commentators and fans for some time have bemoaned his lack of mobility, and Ireland's lack of a top class tighthead in recent times (until Mike Ross took on the mantle), but frankly it was never John Hayes' fault that Ireland had failed to produce a better player in his position in his twilight years, and in his pomp, he was full of power.

So retires one of the games great lineout lifters.

The man has more than merely earned hi retirement, he should get two pensions. Plus his headage grant

A phenomonal servent to Province and Country, and of all the decent & honest players that have gotten to pull on the red jersey over the last century or so, none that I know of epitomised & practiced the charge embroided on the collar of a Munster shirt; Wear with Pride & Honesty.

Go easy Bull, t'will always be your field.

I'm not sure I can quite understand the world without John Hayes at 3 for Munster...

I can imagine he will play again for Munster- he may be left of the RWC squad.

John Hayes is a ligind. Enjoy your retirement John,hope you raise some fine cattle!

Gwan de bull

Does anybody have the picture of him lifting o'connell for ireland and o'connell is a good foot above his hands as if he had thrown him to the sky like a 5 year old

Great servant to Irish rugby. Never the best scrummager but his lifting ability was such a key part of the Irish lineout and his defensive work and work rate was phenomenal. He should enjoy his retirement and be happy with his incredible career for Munster, Ireland and the Lions. .

It's funny looking back at games at the start of the last decade where, believe it or not, he was using as a ball carrying option.

As said, he was never World Class and his flaws were much publicised, yet in a position where no one else came through, he more than held his own and was the corner stone of the pack during Irish rugby's greatest period to date.

Sorry, one thing I forgot and should not be lost to history either, is that Hayes was the ONLY Irish player who walked away from the 2007 RWC with not only his reputation intact, but even enhanced. Against 3 of the 5 top scrummaging sides in the world at the time (France, Argentina & Georgia) he not alone held his own, but got some traction too. Did his job at lineout time and his bit around the park too. Unlike so many who underperformed (principally the head coach) he was at his best.

Kudos.

MBTGOG wrote:It's funny looking back at games at the start of the last decade where, believe it or not, he was using as a ball carrying option.

Absolutely. I remember every now and then you'd see a charge from Hayes and just assume it was Keith Wood, only to see a much larger bald fella pick himself off the ground at the end of it.

I'm really surprised. I know how old he is but the last match i saw him play he was on for the full eighty minutes and he was good! It's too soon! He's also the most freakishly fit/injury free player in history. He is still a fine rugby player. I'd like to see him around for another year in red.

Suggests he could be going to RWC if he's planning to retire afterwards.

Or alternatively he has agreed to play for Munster until Botha returns from the WC - you can read it both ways

geoff998rugby wrote:Or alternatively he has agreed to play for Munster until Botha returns from the WC - you can read it both ways

True. You seem to be very certain that Botha will travel to World Cup do you think it likely. He isn't named in the 37 man training squad and is currently in Cork with Munster.

geoff998rugby wrote:Or alternatively he has agreed to play for Munster until Botha returns from the WC - you can read it both ways

That's right.

I believe he will go to NZ under 1 of 2 circumstances.

1/ they take 5 Props

2/ Ross or Buckley get hurt.

What a great player and man in general though. Never hurt. You could take a shovel to him and you would only break the shovel.

Never likes to draw attention to himself. Uncomfortable with any praise or acknowledgement. Like a great Irish man should be.

Played 80 mins v Leinster in the Magners final and got a penalty try near the end.

Normally I would ridicule calls for a player of his age to continue for his province, but in his case, he could actually do it for another year.

Otherwise he will have to just throw cattle over fences instead of throwing Paulie 8 foot in the air.

Red Stag Botha is in the 49 squad for the WC.
There are only 4 capped props in that squad (Du Plessis, Beast, Steenkamp and Botha) and SA will be taken 5 props so the odds are quite high Iwould have thought.

If a reduced squad has been named for the early tri-nations I would expect NH players might be exclude just to give them a rest and in Botha's case to get over an injury.

geoff998rugby wrote:Red Stag Botha is in the 49 squad for the WC.
There are only 4 capped props in that squad (Du Plessis, Beast, Steenkamp and Botha) and SA will be taken 5 props so the odds are quite high Iwould have thought.

If a reduced squad has been named for the early tri-nations I would expect NH players might be exclude just to give them a rest and in Botha's case to get over an injury.

Cool stuff thanks Geoff.

geoff998rugby wrote:Red Stag Botha is in the 49 squad for the WC.
There are only 4 capped props in that squad (Du Plessis, Beast, Steenkamp and Botha) and SA will be taken 5 props so the odds are quite high Iwould have thought.

If a reduced squad has been named for the early tri-nations I would expect NH players might be exclude just to give them a rest and in Botha's case to get over an injury.

IMO SA will only take 4 props - bearing in mind that they can use Smit there at a pinch.

red_stag wrote:

geoff998rugby wrote:Or alternatively he has agreed to play for Munster until Botha returns from the WC - you can read it both ways

True. You seem to be very certain that Botha will travel to World Cup do you think it likely. He isn't named in the 37 man training squad and is currently in Cork with Munster.

Wouldn't be too sure about that. When that newspaper article was being printed, according to BJ's twitter, he was on his way back to South Africa (from his family holiday in Mauritius).

Indo strikes again

SinE, I based it on Munster rugby website entry:

"They will be joined on Monday by their international contingent who spent this week in Carton House (Maynooth) but before that the entire squad will debunk to Warrington to attend the funeral service for Paul Darbyshire.
Darbyshire, the Munster Head of Strength & Conditioning, died last Monday morning, and his funeral takes place tomorrow morning.

New signings BJ Botha and Ian Keatley will be among those in Cork along with 11 players who have come up through the ranks to earn full time contracts."

Stag from BJ's twitter (30 June). The Munster website stuff is dated 28th June. Someone is telling porkies!

BJ:
10 incredible days in Mauritius with my family come to an end, on our way back to RSA!
30 Jun via Twitter for BlackBerry® Favorite Retweet Reply
replies ↓
»
naeem haffejee
naeemh7 naeem haffejee
@
@BJBotha time to get ready for tri nations
30 Jun Favorite Retweet Reply
»
BJ Botha
BJBotha BJ Botha
@
@naeemh7 looking forward to the challengers that lie ahead!

Notice BJ avoids answering anything about the TriNations.

Very suspicious. I wonder did we buy the real BJ Botha