Rugby: Flanker's experience to count

Tim Boys
Tim Boys
Tim Boys is something of a rare creature these days.

The Southland flanker, who played for Otago before shifting south for good in 2007, is still trucking around first class rugby in New Zealand and he will not see 30 again.

Boys admitted it took him a while for it to sink in that at 31 he was the oldest in the Southland side.

''It just caught up on me. My wife thought that I might be the oldest in the team and I quickly worked out I was the oldest,'' he said.

''But [hooker] David Hall has joined the squad and he's older than me so I have lost that title. But the body is still feeling pretty good and things are going all right.''

Boys will line up for Southland this Saturday against Otago at Forsyth Barr Stadium, which is shaping as a key game for both sides.

Boys is looking to continue a rich run of form for the Southland side, which is one spot and one point above Otago on the ITM Cup championship table.

''It's always a big game going up against Otago. But we enjoy playing in the stadium under the roof and it always becomes a fast game. It's always good to watch.''

The former Otago Boys' High School pupil, who has now played more than 100 games for Southland, has played nearly every minute of every game so far this season and says he is feeling fresh.

That has been helped by an enforced break after he suffered a freak injury while overseas.

Boys signed as injury cover for Irish club Ulster in the off season late last year but he made just one appearance for the side.

'' I was about to play my first game for Ulster and I was having a bit of a wrestle with someone. I was doing it in my socks and the toe sort of got caught under me. It didn't hurt at all.

''But when I took my sock off my big toe was hanging there under my foot. I could have walked on it if I had to. I had to have surgery the next day.''

He has ripped the ligament holding his big toe up and a long spell was needed on the sideline, following surgery.

Boys said the injury gave his body a decent break and he was reaping dividends now with his efforts on the field for Southland.

Boys is married to Kara and has three children, Benson (5), Lucia (3) and Emme (10 months).

Having made his first class debut 10 years ago, Boys is not pulling the curtain down on his career just yet, and has signed to play for Southland next year.

The game has changed since he first played first class rugby in 2005, although fundamentally the rules were the same.

''You watch those old All Black games they have been showing and everything just looks a lot more slower. Everyone just seems to be running slow.

''It has sped up more now. They've changed the odd rule here and there but it is sort of the same. Loose forwards, though, play a bit wider, giving teams a bit of width, although at times it can be frustrating having to wait for the ball.''

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