Sale Sharks still expect bite from lock of ages Nathan Hines

Nathan Hines will be 39 by the time his newly-signed contract finishes, but retirement is still far from the mind of the evergreen lock.
After Steve Diamond's  announced that James Gaskell would be leaving at the end of the season to join it has not taken them long to fill the second row void, with Hines set to join in the summer.
Capped 77 times by Scotland and a British & Irish Lions tourist in 2009, Hines brings a wealth of experience to the north of .
And despite spells all across Europe that include Edinburgh, and current club , the Australian-born lock has never sampled the rough and tumble of the English .
And with Steve Diamond lauding his new acquisition as a “world-class player” still at 37, Hines is confident he can continue Sale's upsurge.
“People use my age as a bit of a thing as a reason not to sign me,” said Hines who revealed that both Glasgow and former club Perpignan enquired about his services before he signed for Sale.
“But if my age was a huge factor I don't think clubs would be in a hurry to take me on.
“Glasgow were interested and I was speaking to but it was depending on someone leaving, so that didn't materialise.
“Perpignan showed some interest as well but Sale came in and asked me to speak to Bryan Redpath and he said exactly the same – age was not a factor.
“I'm going into a situation where it's not necessarily a winning squad at the moment, and with a bit of my experience I'm hoping to bring the younger guys on.
“At clubs like Clermont and Leinster I've always played with established stars and this time it's more of a challenge, I can go in there to help in a lot of different ways.
“Sale are definitely a team who are getting better and things are moving forward, they've got on the bus now and it's time to take it up a level.
“That's exciting for me and as they say excitement is what keeps you young.”
Despite his wealth of experience, the challenge of the English Premiership is still somehow unchartered territory for Hines.
But for a man who thought his retirement was coming some five years ago, now is the chance to make the most of his new opportunity.
“I'm really looking forward to it, I haven't consciously avoided the Premiership,” he added.
“I nearly signed for Northampton when Wayne Smith was there, I think back in 2003. They were planning on a player signing somewhere else and it meant there was no space in the second row in the end.
“So I ended up staying at Edinburgh and then wanted a change of culture and that's why I moved to in the first place.
“But that level of rugby is terrific, we (Clermont) played last weekend and they're a very good side.” And while Clermont's push for elusive European success is at the forefront of his mind, Hines refuses to rule out further challenges down the line.
“When I signed a two-year extension at Perpignan to take me up to until I was 32 I thought that'd be my last contract,” he added.
“That's not because I felt any different but that seems to be an age when a normal playing career ends and you retire. Nothing's fallen apart since then so I can't say whether this one will be my last contract – I've learned to think you can never say never.”
CHRIS BAILEY

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