17 JEROME BIDS FAREWELL

By the end of last year it was di›cult to see that Jerome Kaino was going to hang in as an All Black through to the World Cup.

It was a tough year for him with injury and personal issues and his form disappeared.

He was contracted to play Super Rugby in 2018 and it always felt like he would announce at some stage during the season that he would be heading o•shore.

And so it came…confirmation arriving in April that he had signed with Toulouse and that 13 seasons with the Blues would come to an end.

As much as we knew it was coming, it was still a sad and memorable moment to bid farewell to such a fierce warrior and great All Black.

There have been some good blindsides in the professional era, but Kaino would be among the best.

LAST CALL Blues legend Jerome Kaino is honoured with a haka by his team-mates after his last game at Eden Park.