FORMER Wales international outside half Byron Hayward is set to call it a day at the end of the season and will bow out on home soil for Ebbw Vale against Caerphilly on Saturday.

Hayward made his senior rugby debut as an 18-year-old for Abertillery against Bridgend 18 years ago and has since played around 600 first class matches and scored over 3,000 points, 2,529 in Welsh league rugby, a figure bettered only by team-mate Jason Williams with 3,099.

In addition to Vale and Abertillery, his clubs have included Newport, Llanelli, Pontypool, Newbridge, Gloucester and, only this season (on loan) Zurich Premiership club Sale.

Highlights were his two Wales caps in Zimbabwe and South Africa in 1998, a trip with Wales to Argentina (though he did not play), a Welsh Championship win with Llanelli and Schweppes Cup final appearances with them and Vale, and a Heineken Cup semi-final for Gloucester in 2001.

"I have to be happy with my playing career," said Hayward, who was 36 in February. "I can't believe it has been 18 years at more or less the top flight. I was still a youth player when I made my debut.

"But everyone's time has to come to an end and though I'll make myself available until the end of the season in case of injuries, Saturday will probably be my last run out.

"I won't start the game. I'll probably go on for the last ten minutes. I didn't want to make a fuss about it.

"I don't want to go on too long so that people might lose their respect for me but would prefer to bow out when hopefully I'm still a half decent player.

"I've had a lot of knee trouble over the past three years and though it feels good at the moment, after playing some games I feel like an old man afterwards because of the pain."

Hayward has no fears on the matter of respect for it was only last November that Sale believed him still good enough to turn out for them when they had players on England international duty and he contributed 17 points in two games.

"I'll miss playing, it will be difficult," added Hayward, "but I've not started too many games this season and I'll be able to focus more on my coaching.

"When you are on the field it is difficult to analyse things and see how the other players are playing."

Hayward stresses that there remains plenty for his club to play for this season which, after Caerphilly, finishes with tough trips to Llanelli, Neath and Cardiff.

"We must remain focussed and still try to finish as high as we can because we have slipped since Christmas and I don't believe our play justifies us finishing fourth from bottom.

"The Neath game is being shown live on TV and we certainly don't want to embarrass ourselves in that."

Prop Lyn Williams is out tomorrow, serving a two-week suspension.

Ebbw Vale: J Quirk, A McLaughlan, K Owen, D Phillips, A Bevan, J Williams, S Headington, L Davies, C Thomas, D Alexander, G Jones, R Aylett, M Tuipulotu, T Mabbutt, C Cleaver.

Replacements: G Burns, W Morgan, M Scudamore, AN Other, R Jones, B Hayward, J Hawker. Kick-off 2.30pm.