Words such as ''world-class'', ''legend'' and ''true great'' are thrown around in sport like confetti at a wedding.

By and large, recipients of such adulation do not deserve it, especially when it comes from those pundits - mainly in soccer - whose vocabulary is nothing more than cliche-riddled drivel.

In Hill's case though, he qualifies for any superlative you care to mention.

Saturday's appearance at stadiummk against Bristol - Saracens' normal Vicarage Road home is unavailable - will be his 288th in a Saracens shirt.

Hill, like his 2003 World Cup-winning colleague Lawrence Dallaglio who retires from active duty with Wasps later this month, has been a one-club man.

The 34-year-old never actively sought the bright lights of fame and fortune.

During a 15-year club career, Saracens won a solitary trophy - the 1998 Tetley's Bitter Cup - and Hill missed that Twickenham final against Dallaglio's Wasps due to injury.

Fame for Hill came through his exploits as unquestionably the finest back-row forward ever to play for England.

Admittedly, that is some statement given the contributions of players like Dallaglio, Peter Winterbottom, Dean Richards, Roger Uttley and Wavell Wakefield, but Hill was a cut above.

Take these tributes posted on the Saracens website this week, for instance.

Martin Johnson: ''A world-class performance from Richard Hill for Saracens, England and the British and Irish Lions was a given. Richard is a fantastic player and a great bloke, and one of the most consistent world-class players I ever played with.''

Graham Henry: ''Richard is a world-class player and a top bloke, a great professional and a great person. He was a key player on the (2001) Lions tour and had huge influence as a leader.''

Will Greenwood: ''Richard is an all-time great of the game. I, along with the rugby-loving public at Saracens and beyond have always admired his courage, integrity, honesty and work ethic. It is an absolute pleasure to have been on the same field as him.''

Hill possessed a remarkable ability to read a game like no other flanker or number eight of his era.

While the greatest snooker players can play a game in their minds three or four shots ahead of the one they are actually cueing, so Hill could picture where he should be in three phases' time.

As a result, he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, and his worth to any team he played for - Saracens, England, the Lions - was priceless.

He made 68 starts for England and won three more caps off the bench. Thirty seven of those Tests were at blindside flanker, 18 as number eight and 13 in the openside position.

During his five Lions Test appearances that spanned three tours - 1997 (South Africa), 2001 (Australia) and 2005 (New Zealand) - he played blindside and number eight.

The fact he was the only player never dropped during Sir Clive Woodward's 83-Test reign as England supremo says everything you need to know about about his sustained excellence in a white shirt.

And when he wore the red of the Lions, Hill's form never wavered, especially during the 1997 Test series triumph in South Africa.

Four years later, the Lions were well on their way to sinking world champions Australia, but the series began turning against them in Melbourne when Hill was cynically taken out by Wallabies centre Nathan Grey.

Hill, who was left concussed after being struck by Grey's elbow, played no further part on tour.

Two years later, it looked as though Hill's World Cup campaign would end after just 50 minutes of England's opening game against Georgia in Perth when he suffered a hamstring injury.

Mere mortals would have been packed off home on the first available flight, but Woodward knew Hill's priceless importance towards making the World Cup dream reality, and he recovered to deliver a man-of-the-match display when semi-final opponents France were sunk in a Sydney downpour.

Hill's later career was severely affected by two major knee injuries suffered less than a year apart, but he fought back to play again, both for the Lions and his beloved Saracens.

This weekend though, it really will be all over for ''Hilda'', as he is affectionately known, with the final whistle about to be blown on an exceptional player whose modesty and unassuming nature meant he always preferred others to do the talking.

Hill did his where he knew it really counted - on the pitch - and for that, rugby-watchers throughout the land are eternally grateful.

Richard Hill allowed those privileged to watch him to be in the company of a genius.