FOR THE LAST few years it looked like Brad Thorn and Nathan Hines were having a competition about who could age more gracefully. The two teak-tough second rows were both known for their longevity as well as their skills but the New Zealander pipped the man from Wagga Wagga by a single year in terms of retirement age.
The 39-year-old Hines stepped away from rugby this afternoon after Sale’s loss to Exeter in the Aviva Premiership and he leaves behind a great legacy.
Irish fans will best remember him from his two-year stint with Leinster where he formed a strong second row partnership with Leo Cullen. While Leo was more of a traditional lock, Hines’ handling was sublime and he offloaded in contact with an ease usually reserved for back rows or centres. He also scored contributed Leinster’s only points in the 2011 Heineken Cup final that weren’t scored by Johnny Sexton.
Hines then enjoyed three stellar seasons with Clermont before his swansong with Sale this year. Hines was also one of rugby’s biggest chancers when it came to skirting the laws… just ask these three Ulster forwards.
He probably isn’t as much of a cult hero as Brad Thorn is… but he is pretty damn close.
The mind boggles why they don’t just extend the net the whole way along the foul line, average ball leaves the bat at 110 mph, that ball is heavier than a sliotar, this incident could change the safety nets at all stadiums now,
@Roy Ska Butler: yeah it’s the American game and in such a lawsuit culture the only way to solve it is putting in protection .
@Limón Madrugada: I read somewhere that there is a ballpark clause, where the grounds can not be sued as you know the risks going. Something stupid like that
@Eoin Byrne: where there is a lawyer there is a way , the mother could sue the father or whoever brought her there . The poor girl didn’t sign away her safety herself she’s underage .
@Limón Madrugada: this is totally different, it’s not like it’s an unsupervised swing we are talking about
There we go, A girl got hit by a ball. Headline stuff.
@Barry Teehan:
You are a complete Tit.