'You respect anyone playing at that age, Johnny, Smith, Thorn'

Bristol boss Pat Lam has suggested he wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised to see John Afoa play Gallagher Premiership rugby next season for the Bears at the age of 39. The 38-year-old All Blacks World Cup winner celebrates his next birthday in October and any thoughts that the current 2021/22 campaign was supposed to be the last hurrah wind-down for the veteran as he transitioned into coaching have been scratched in recent weeks.

The New Zealander had this season opted to juggle a new scrum coach role at Bristol with his playing commitments as a tighthead. It suggested he might be on his way out as a player but he is instead busily enjoying himself coming down the finishing straight to the campaign. He has played a part in the last six league and European Bears games and is now readying himself for a second successive Premiership start when his team visits league leaders Leicester on Saturday. 

“Johnny is good, he trucks away,” said a chuffed Lam when asked by RugbyPass about the admirable robustness of Bristol veteran Afoa. “I have worked with Jonny since he was 18 and I’m really pleased for him. The on-the-field is great, the off-the-field is another level. 

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“He has mentored so many people and what I am really proud of is I know what he was like when he was 18 and the last thing he was thinking about was leadership or mentoring and all that sort of stuff. But the experiences that that guy has had, we are talking about 20 years later, are huge. He is such a humble guy but a great mentor, a great person and the boys love him. He is dealing with boys now that could be his sons.”

Will we see him playing as a 39-year-old? “I wouldn’t put it past him, wouldn’t put it past him,” continued Lam. “It is fair to say when Johnny started he wasn’t thinking about looking after the body, it was just play rugby and enjoy it.

“But like most guys in the professional era, they get to a point or an age where they realise this (body) is my tool, I have got to look after it and that is what he has done. You have got respect anyone who is still playing at that age, Johnny, George Smith, Brad Thorn. 

“I mean, I retired when I was 34 and I was broken. You have got to respect anyone who can still go and produce at that age because obviously it is not just done naturally, by doing nothing, it is done by doing a lot of hard work. Rest, recovery, doing all the little things well to ensure you can go again.”

Asked how Afoa has managed his responsibilities as a rookie Bristol coach, Lam added: “He has had great support from Dave Ward because it is not easy being player-coach. That is a challenge but the thing with Johnny is that obviously he is a very good technician, knows a lot, and has had more scrums than anybody.

“But he is also the guy mentoring, leadership and understanding. It isn’t easy being a player coach. I knew that when I did my year, my last year (as a player). That is a challenge but he has had some good support.”

Will he continue into a second year with the coaching? “Yeah, I think so. It’s an area that if he wants to he will continue it for us.”