Over and out

THEY say hard men don’t cry. Don’t believe a bit of it.

I doubt if they come any tougher than Keith Wood but an hour after yesterday's draining World Cup defeat by France, he'd done little but shed tears since Jonathan Kaplan blew full time on an amazing career.

"It's doubly emotional for me today, losing a World Cup quarter-final and facing up to the fact that I must retire from rugby. I have the desire, I'd love to play on for another 10 years but the honest truth is that the body has had enough."

Keith Wood won't be 32 until January 27 next and played sufficiently well in the World Cup to suggest he could go on for quite a while yet.

That is not to be and a distinguished international career (58 Irish caps, a record 36 as captain, three World Cups and two Lions tours) that began here in Australia on the summer tour of 1995, has finally come to an end a number of years later than many had predicted. Needless to say, he is Ireland's most capped hooker.

"It's time to hang up the boots from all rugby," he said with obvious regret. "I've had lots of great days. Being with the Lions was fantastic but being involved in this World Cup, this particular set-up, this group of players, that was very special.

"It's unfortunate that it all ends on a downer but such is life. I had to take the advice of my surgeon Ian Bailey who has been a mainstay of my career and who fixed my shoulder as long ago as 1995 when it looked all over. He gave me the confidence to play on.

"Two years ago, when Eddie was appointed coach, we discussed the situation. He wanted me to get to the World Cup, I wanted to get to the World Cup, and I wanted to see how I was and where I was at the end of it.

"The biggest chance was always to retire at the end of it. The heart is willing, the head is willing but the body has had enough.

"I didn't want to be in a situation where my standard fell or had to retire because of another shoulder injury.

"And to be honest, the injury to the shoulder was an injury waiting to happen and I think I'm lucky to get out before I made an absolute mess of it. I've had someone looking down on me. I've been unbelievably fortunate and privileged to play so long for my country."

Wood was the recipient of copious tributes from friend and foe alike. French coach Bernard Laporte commented: "I would like to congratulate Keith. He is not only a great player but a great man."

As for Ireland's Eddie O'Sullivan, those most involved in the scene over the past few seasons realise just how close is the relationship between the two men.

"I've always felt he was misjudged as a person and player," said O'Sullivan. "That was based on a belief that he played well on the pitch with the ball under his arm and that was Keith Wood start and finish. I've seen many sides to Keith on a personal level which is between him and me because we're good friends.

"But from a rugby point of view, I once described him as the identikit professional rugby player and that's about the highest thing I can say about him.

"He was quite emotional after the game. He's put a huge effort into this World Cup. He's been through hell and high water to get here.

"He was written off by everybody about 14 months ago when he was dead twice over with his neck and shoulder. It's a measure of the man the way he came back and nobody, and I mean nobody, put more into this World Cup than Keith Wood. So losing today is tough.

"The man pursues his profession as assiduously as he can every minute of the day to become the best player that he can be.

"We've just lost a legend of the rugby game. His name will live on. It's a very special day, not just in Irish rugby but in world rugby. I think we've seen the retirement of a legend. I don't think he can be replaced."

A measure of the respect for the man was the ovation he received on entering the press conference in the Telstra Stadium last evening. Just about everybody wanted to wish him well and they weren't all Irishmen.

Of his last ever game, the captain admitted: "They pressurised us in every facet, to such an extent that we haven't encountered in this World Cup. It was incessant. We were in the game for a period of time on the scoreboard but to be brutally frank, we were hanging on for a lot of it.

"We were trying but they were in behind us too often. They scored tries when we were on attack and suddenly we're a big heap down at half time. It could have been the worst of days because you're looking down the barrel of a fairly significant and heavy defeat.

"I think you see the character of a bunch of lads when they fight manfully with pride in their jersey to try and eke self respect back and I don't think you could ask for any more from the team in the second half. They wore their hearts on the sleeve and played accordingly.

"But we had a bad first half and that's scant consolation. The raw material is there. We build on it now and target the next World Cup.

"I'll take a step away from rugby for a while. I don't have the temperament to be a coach. Eddie may be a cranky man but he isn't as cranky as I am. I'll get back to it at some place and some time because obviously I love it an awful lot."