Ireland boss offers Buckley, Hayes the stick and carrot

THE absence of Ireland’s birthday boy John Hayes from the squad to meet South Africa at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday suggests the veteran prop forward has come to the end of an illustrious career.

But that implication was denounced emphatically yesterday by Irish coach Declan Kidney, who reckons Hayes will build on his 102 cap total built up over a decade of huge achievement.

From a rugby perspective, Munster and Irish powerhouse Hayes didn’t have much to celebrate on his 37th birthday yesterday other than to take stock of Kidney’s promise that he remained firmly in his plans for the remainder of the season and through, form permitting, to the World Cup in New Zealand next September.