Al Baxter retires

[#1 Tah]

Alistair "Fuze" Baxter hangs up the boots and tape after 11 years of a dominant scrum. Great player and top bloke. :baxter:

 

[barbarian]

What a great servant of NSW and Australian rugby. Both will be poorer without him.

:baxter: :baxter: :baxter:

 

[zeedok]

The best looking prop in world rugby, according to my wife. Her heart is going to break!

Great servant for the Tahs and Wallabies, much maligned in his scrummaging work (IMHO).

 

[HodgoBerro]

Sad day for rugby, top bloke he is.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/s...011-rugby-season/story-e6frf4qu-1226071669800

 

[RugbyReg]

Well played Al.

Austin, can you do up a tribute video please? Like the Larkham and George Smith ones?

Cheers

 

[Moses]

Well played Al.

Austin, can you do up a tribute video please? Like the Larkham and George Smith ones?

Cheers

Like Larkham and Smith, but with fewer tries and more scrums.

 

[Scarfman]

Just a little shorter, eh Reg?

I'm disappointed for him, to be honest. I thought he got cut by Deans a little early. Deans seemed to pick people on age, rather than one-on-one. Still, there would be a lot of international jerseys in his pool room.

 

[TheNextBigThing]

More than any other Aussie prop's pool room.

May not have been the most consistent srummager but a top shelf ambassador and model of determination.

 

[WB3]

Al Baxter- great player and never have I met a humbler or more articulate bloke. All the best in his future endeavours and congratulations on a fine career.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Just a little shorter, eh Reg?

I'm disappointed for him, to be honest. I thought he got cut by Deans a little early. Deans seemed to pick people on age, rather than one-on-one. Still, there would be a lot of international jerseys in his pool room.

I think he got dumped because the perception was that he would get penalised off the park at scrum time. Still good around the paddock, but I reckon Deans wanted to shore up the set piece and figured one of the younger guys would be no worse there.

 

[Victorian Reds Fan]

Just a little shorter, eh Reg?

I'm disappointed for him, to be honest. I thought he got cut by Deans a little early. Deans seemed to pick people on age, rather than one-on-one. Still, there would be a lot of international jerseys in his pool room.

I thought Baxter should have been left out even earlier.

 

[daz]

I thought Baxter should have been left out even earlier.

For mine, regardless of what we thought of him as a player, now that he is retired I think it is appropriate to focus on the positives and appreciate what he brought to the table over his career.

 

[liquor box]

Al Baxter- great player and never have I met a humbler or more articulate bloke. All the best in his future endeavours and congratulations on a fine career.

He was on ABC Grandstand a few times and was a very impressive speaker. I hope he goes on to bigger and better things in the future

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I've never met him and probably never will, but he comes across as a true gent and a top bloke.

 

[Slim 293]

Like Larkham and Smith, but with fewer tries and more collapsed scrums.

I couldn't help myself...

Anyways, Al was a great Super rugby player and ever reliable for the Tahs, but like Chisholm just couldn't step up to test rugby...

But it sounds like he's one of the few that's set themselves up for a post-rugby career and good on him!

 

[Hawko]

I thought Baxter should have been left out even earlier.

And this from someone who supports the team with the weakest scrum in the Super comp. People in glass houses.......

 

[drewprint]

Let's not get petty here, huh?

So long to a great servant of Aus rugby. Hope he gets a great ending to his 2011 campaign and his career.

 

[Reddy!]

Very intelligent bloke and had his moments in a long career. I don't think he will be retiring with any regrets, and good luck to him in the future.

I'm sure now he will be looking to register as an architect soon, but who knows what other business ventures he has set up.

My favourite Al Baxter memory is him steam rolling Andy Sheridan at Twickers in 2008. Actually, that's one of my favourite Wallaby moments ever.

 

[Joe Blow]

My favourite Al Baxter memory is him steam rolling Andy Sheridan at Twickers in 2008. Actually, that's one of my favourite Wallaby moments ever.

I reckon that would be his choice for the pinnacle of his career. He has been a great servant to Wallaby rugby after being thrust into the cauldron at the 2003 RWC. In the semi and the final he more than held his own.
His Wallaby career was shortened by the referees' perception that he was always at fault when the Wobs scrum went down. However that didn't stop him becoming the most capped Wallaby prop of all.
Well done mate! Best of luck in the future.

 

[Top Bloke]

What would be next for Al?
Maybe he could join TV commentary team. A front rower is well overdue, if I hear another comment like "Ohh the dark arts of the front row, who knows what goes on in there" I will kick my TV