Brendan Gallagher’s feature: Never call Carl Hayman a mercenary… he’s been a galactico!

Three giants of the game – metaphorically and physically – depart the European scene at Twickenham on Saturday as the clock rapidly runs down on their stellar careers. Carl Hayman, Bakkies Botha and Ali Williams will be retiring at the conclusion of Toulon’s T14 season but for the rest of us it’s time to say goodbye.
To these eyes Hayman was the most significant signing in Toulon’s recent history, even more so than Jonny Wilkinson, indeed his signing altered the entire landscape of European rugby and its relationship with the Southern Hemisphere. It was Hayman who more than anybody defined what a rugby galactico was – and is – and what his responsibilities are.
When Hayman, the world’s top tighthead prop at the time beyond all reasonable doubt, signed for Toulon in May 2010 he turned his back on a certain place in the All Blacks 2011 World Cup team and a starring role in New Zealand‘s home World Cup. It was there on a plate if he wanted it.
Even Wilkinson, when he had signed for Toulon a year earlier, did so only on the understanding that he could still play for England, which he continued to do until the end of the RWC2011. Jonny managed to retain a foot in both camps until he decided the time was right for him to retire from Test rugby.
Many others who have followed Hayman at Toulon, especially the South Africans, have happily combined their Test careers with their status as overseas players in the T14. Very few have actually sacrificed their Test careers at the height of their powers. Even Matt Giteau has received a late reprieve with the ARU’s change of heart concerning picking overseas players.
As the ultimate ‘hired hand’ Hayman – a world class player in his pomp – consciously opted for the considerable wage packet offered by Toulon and enviable lifestyle afforded by a Mediterranean location, over further international honours with the greatest Test team in the world and a shot at rugby’s ultimate prize.
Hayman was already a pioneer in that respect. After the 2007 World Cup – which ended badly for New Zealand as you will recall – he had signposted the way forward by signing for Newcastle Falcons where he became the best paid player in the emerging Premiership, reportedly be paid an annual salary in excess of £300,000.
At the end of the 2009-10 season there was a crossroads to be negotiated. In fact it was more of a spaghetti junction.  To return to New Zealand and become eligible for the All Blacks again, to continue with a Newcastle team that seemed unable to take the next step up and were now without Jonny or to seek out the best offer in Europe?
He chose the latter, and not just for the money although it certainly helped. As the game’s best tighthead prop Hayman could virtually name his price wherever he went, so reasons other than pure finance came into play.
Toulon, just five years ago, were not quite the all-conquering club they are now. Even as Hayman put pen to paper they had just lost disappointingly at home to Cardiff Blues in the Amlin Cup final – they hadn’t even qualified for the Heineken Cup that season – and soon after crashed out to Clermont in the semi-finals of the French championship.
Toulon were a club with huge ambition, a considerable fan base and deep pockets but some of the big name hired hands over the years hadn’t quite delivered and the dynamic wasn’t quite right.
Toulon, as they did with Wilkinson, quickly got into his blood and became his life, and winning for his adopted club became his raison d’etre. He has now appeared in more games for Toulon, 150, than he did in eight years playing top level rugby in New Zealand for Otago and the Highlanders.
In Hayman’s eyes, having made the huge decision once and for all to turn his back on the All Blacks, he owed it to himself to ensure that his alternative career was a massive success. Because, if not, why bother? Why give up so much without at least trying to replace it with something of similar stature and kudos?
Since making that call, Toulon have won the French championship and two European Cups on the bounce with the opportunity on Saturday of making it three in a row. Hayman has been one of the constants in all that. Hayman is one of those who has set the standards for the top dollar hired hands and the knock-on effect has been brilliant for Toulon.
Botha seemed to be nearing the end of his career when it all went wrong for South Africa at the 2011 World Cup and there was talk of him joining Victor Matfield in retirement. When he announced he was joining Toulon, just for a moment you wondered if it might end in tears but Botha suddenly found himself in a highly charged, energised, environment in which old greybeards like him were running around like hungry academy players.
Much the same can be said for another World Cup winner,  Williams, who, with injuries also a factor,  had seemed on the verge of retirement a couple of times before he moved to Toulon in June 2013 on a one-year contract which was all he thought he had left in the tank.
Well that first season wasn’t too shabby – Toulon won the Heineken Cup and T14 – so he returned for one more year and there is every chance of repeating that extraordinary double.
The thing about these well rewarded ‘Dads Army’ players is that, taking their cue from Hayman, they have risen to the challenge and delivered. And that is what makes them galacticos not mercenaries.