Toulon's Carl Hayman hoping to end career on a high

Nick Purewal 09:48 02/05/2015
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  • Bowing out: Carl Hayman.

    New Zealand’s Carl Hayman is determined to add to his “amazing” time at Toulon by leading the side to an unprecedented third successive European title when they face French rivals Clermont in today’s European Champions Cup final at Twickenham.

    No side has won three straight European titles, with New Zealand’s Crusaders, who won three successive Super Rugby crowns from 1998-2000, the only club to have completed a comparable feat.

    Saturday’s match has an extra edge as Hayman, capped 45 times by the All Blacks from 2001-2007, is one of several Toulon players, along with former Test locks Ali Williams (New Zealand) and Bakkies Botha (South Africa), who is retiring at the end of the season.

    “It always means a lot,” the 35-year-old Hayman told a Twickenham news conference yesterday. “This is why we are here, this is why we train to get to this stage and make a final and to have the chance of winning.”

    Hayman added: “There are a lot of guys leaving at the end of this year but that is not going to win us the match. “Being concentrated on our performance is going to go a long way to seeing us to victory tomorrow.”

    Toulon’s preparations have been boosted by club and international legend Jonny Wilkinson. The World Cup-winner has spent the week with Toulon in his part-time skills coaching role with the Top 14 leaders.

    Meanwhile, Nick Abendanon has insisted he’ll have no problem putting the ongoing debate about his England future to one side when he lines up on home soil for Clermont.

    The former Bath full-back has seen his decision to leave the English Premiership club vindicated by reaching European club rugby’s showpiece final in his first season at Clermont.

    Abendanon, 28, has been in fine form for Clermont, with compatriot Steffon Armitage starring for Toulon in a superb back-row.

    But as things stand, both players will miss this year’s World Cup in England, with Red Rose coach Stuart Lancaster so far holding firm to the Rugby Football Union’s policy of refusing to select players at overseas clubs for Test duty, save in “exceptional circumstances”.

    “To be honest with you I know there’s been a lot of talk about the World Cup, but at the end of the day it’s got nothing to do with how well me and Stef are going to play tomorrow,” Abendanon said.

    “We’ve both done our part for our teams to get ourselves into this position in the first place and Stuart’s going to be the only one who can make that decision.

    “I’m sure we’ll just go out and do exactly as we have done throughout the tournament and it’s out of our hands so there’s nothing we can really change.”

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