Richard Anthony Hill MBE made his Saracens debut back in the amateur days when the Men in Black were watched by a few hundred huddled under the not-very-grand stand at Bramley Road. Since then he has gone on to win 71 England caps – and winning a World Cup - 5 Lions caps over three tours, and  make 288 appearances for his one and only senior club, the last of which we will witness this weekend in Milton Keynes.

Many of us who have seen what he has done in the 15 years since he first pulled on the black jersey adorned with the star and crescent are in no doubt that the Silent Assassin is not only the best back row forward of his generation, he is the best back row forward of ANY generation.

Since the announcement of his retirement the praise has been sung from the rooftops from everyone associated with the sport; journalists, supporters, team-mates, opponents – the list goes on – all of it fully deserved.

Unlike some of his contemporaries who have promoted themselves with vigour to ensure that their fading careers have not gone unnoticed up to the day they finally retire, Hilly announced during a busy Six Nations weekend that he would be hanging up his boots. No fuss, no fanfare, and so typical of the man.

Much has been made not only of his prowess on the field; the way he went about his business almost incognito while others around him took the plaudits; the fact that he was the only player not dropped from the England team during the Clive Woodward regime; the way he battled back from not one, but two knee reconstructions and other illnesses that stuck him down during his most difficult of time, and the way he was affable and unassuming off the field. Hilly is a great example of a true sportsman, showing courage, determination and proving beyond doubt that he is a master of his craft.

Lots of references have been made about the 2001 Lions tour where his absence during the latter part of the series tipped the balance in favour of the Wallabies and how he fronted up in THAT six-man scrum against New Zealand and countless other heroices on the international stage, not to mention the recent Ospreys game where he showed that, at 34 years of age and operating on one good leg, he could still take on the best players and come out on top.

We who have followed Saracens have been more fortunate than anyone else as we got to see him week-in, week-out playing for the club that we and he loves and this is something to cherish.

So-long, then, Hilly, it has been a wonderful 13 years for me, and wonderful for everyone else, no matter how long they have been watching you play. Thank you for all the memories and I am sure that the Fezboys and all those who follow Sarries, England, the Lions and the game of rugby, wish you a prosperous retirement, whatever path you choose.

In conclusion, and with apologies to Sid Waddell, I’d like to opine that the Silent Assassin moniker isn’t really accurate and say this instead about the great man:

He’s not Assassin. He’s THE sassin.

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