Hayes set to make his curtain call against Connacht

JOHN HAYES will play his finalmatch for Munster in Monday’s RaboDirect Pro12 game against Connacht at Thomond Park on St Stephen’s Day.

It will be an emotional moment for Hayes and the Munster supporters, given he first pulled on the red jersey in August, 1997. Since then he has represented the province on 211 occasions and was a key member of the successful Heineken Cup teams in 2006 and 2008.

Hayes had been expected to retire at the end of last season but was lured back to cover for the World Cup players. With the tight head prop position nailed down by BJ Botha, his appearances were few and far between, although he did come in for the closing stages of the recent away win over the Scarlets when the Springbok went off with cramp.

Although Munster haven’t definitively stated this is the final game in the career of ‘the Bull’, when coach Tony McGahan was asked would be his swan song he said: “This is what we’re looking to do, to include John in the next home game.”

That may still leave the door open for a change of heart but the fact Munster are holding their open squad session for fans at Kilballyown Park, the home of Hayes’s club Bruff, tomorrow morning increases the likelihood that the playing days of the famous 38-year-old Cappamore man are finally at an end.

If that is actually the case, Munster will deregister Hayes. Stephen Archer, already a member of the Heineken squad, will replace him with New Zealander Peter Borlase, who is back to full fitness after scoring a vital bonus-point try in the last minute of last week’s British and Irish Cup tie against Moseley.

Munster will announce a much-changed squad for the visit of Connacht with several players standing down under the IRFU’s player protection programme and others being handed a well-merited rest. This offers the opportunity to a number of those who have had to ply their trade in the British and Irish Cup to put their hands up for recognition.

The fact Peter O’Mahony, Connor Murray, Danny Barnes and Simon Zebo were members of the academy this time last year and are now established members of the Heineken Cup squad is sure to prove of considerable encouragement to Ian Nagle, Tommy O’Donnell (who came off the bench in the closing minutes on Sunday), John Ryan, Billy Holland, Sean Henry, Dave O’Callaghan, Tom Gleeson, Scott Deasy and Duncan Williams, all talented performers who have had to play secondary roles for the most part.

Following his side’s heartbreaking last-minute defeat by Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday last, Connacht coach Eric Elwood will also ring the changes but his replacement talent is a long way short of what’s available to Tony McGahan.