Sarries' Hill set for last hurrah
Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:01
Richard Hill is set to make one last appearance for Saracens before his retirement, after the England back row forward's side just failed to reach their first Heineken Cup Final following an agonising 16-18 defeat against Munster.
Flank forward Hill, a key member of England's 2003 World Cup-winning side, remains a remarkably competitive figure given he has twice come back from reconstruction surgery on his left knee.
But, with Saracens' season effectively over after Sunday's heartbreaking loss to the 2006 Heineken Cup champions at the Ricoh Arena, there had been speculation the north London club would spare the man who has served them so loyally for the last 15 seasons from further punishment.
However, Saracens coach Alan Gaffney - who is himself leaving the club at the end of the season to join the backroom staff of Munster's Irish rivals Leinster - indicated the 71-times-capped Hill, who also played five Tests for the British and Irish Lions, would bow out in front of his home crowd at Vicarage Road.
"We've got to look at his body," Gaffney admitted.
"We do play our final game of the season at Vicarage Road against Bristol in two weeks time and you could see Hilly donning the Saracens shirt again," the Australian added of a man affectionately tagged by England back row colleague Lawrence Dallaglio as the "most overpraised unsung hero in the history of sport".
Saracens' South African captain Neil de Kock said: "Richard has just been outstanding. He put his body on the line again."
