My Life in Rugby: Martin Hynes – former Orrell, Northampton and England prop

When I told Ed Morrison I was retiring from rugby to start my own pest control business his response was that it made sense as I’d been one myself my entire career! Admittedly I did have a few run-ins with officials during my time in the front row. I remember Jack Rowell spitting his dummy out after Orrell had beaten Bath in a particularly violet game at Edge Hall Road. I was photographed belting Victor Ubogu while Sammy Southern, my idol, had him in a head-lock, which obviously didn’t go down too well!
I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as mentally tough as Sammy in all my time in rugby, although Paul Tupai, who I coach at Bedford is one of the strongest characters I’ve ever met.  Sammy got the very best out of an average group of players by leading by example and getting us to fight for what was ours. It was incredible what we achieved as a small village side in Wigan. We won matches that, on paper, we simply had no right to win. I tear my hair out nowadays at the attitude of some of the young players I coach. Some, not all, aren’t prepared to go that extra mile for their mates.
Joining my mates from the England B set up – Paul Grayson, Ian Hunter and Martin Bayfield – was one of the reasons why I joined Northampton just before the game went professional – that, and the fact there as more work in the Midlands. I was an electrician in those days and it was proving hard to make ends meet in Wigan.The people of North-ampton welcomed me and my wife with open arms and we’ve stayed there ever since even if the pies aren’t a patch on those back home.
The success Saints have enjoyed of late is just reward for the Barwell family who’ve done so much for the club and the town. Back in those early days of professionalism, Keith Barwell bankrolled the club until it was able to stand on its own two feet financially and he brought in a number of stellar signings, with World Cup winner Gary Pagel, Pat Lam and Freddie Mendez to name but a few, all arriving at the Gardens. One player I used to enjoy having on my side came from a lot closer to home, the combative scrum-half Dave Ellkington, whose nuggety style was in direct contrast to the whippet-like Matt Dawson. Elky would always be up for a midweek trip to Coventry in the rain even if the rest of us weren’t. We still share a pint and a catch up whenever possible in ‘The Crooker Hooker’.
I played numerous times for England XVs, touring Canada and New Zealand, and sat on the bench throughout the entire 1991/92 Grand Slam-winning season without actually getting on. That was just how it was in those days. Jason Leonard was the best prop of his generation so I couldn’t have any complaints about playing second fiddle to him. When Jase injured his spine I got selected in his place for an England XV v Leicester game to celebrate 100 years of rugby being played at Welford Road and everyone thought I’d be in the team for the up and coming test against Canada at Wembley.  But Jase recovered in remarkably quick time and I was left out of the squad altogether. Of course it was disappointing not to get capped but for me the only people who really know if you’re any good or not are the lads you play with and the lads you play against.
An arm injury put paid to my playing days in 2000, and after a year or so I started to combine coaching with my work at frontrow-services.com. I helped out with the forwards at Saints when Colin Deans left midway through the season before linking up with Mike Rayer at Bedford. We’ve had 10 great years together at Goldington Road and shared many a laugh along the way. We were both in stitches during the 2011 Championship semi-final at Worcester when we nearly won a game that we had no right to given the difference in playing budgets.
Coaching England Women for a couple of years was immensely enjoyable too. I wasn’t surprised they won the World Cup last year, players like Rocky Clark and Maggie Alphonsi are unbelievably, dedicated characters who constantly strove to improve themselves.