Richard Hill is ready to face his "biggest challenge for Saracens" in today's Heineken Cup semi-final showdown against tournament heavyweights Munster.

Hill's glittering career ranks among the finest of any era, with World Cup glory, 71 England caps, a Six Nations Grand Slam and five British Lions Test appearances underlining his status as a true great.

Retirement now looms for the 34-year-old, whose ravaged left knee has meant numerous operations, but he continues to confound medical science.

The Munster clash could conceivably be Hill's last game, unless he can help inspire similar Saracens heroics that accounted for quarter-final opponents the Ospreys three weeks ago.

If Saracens make their European exit, Hill might have an involvement in their final Guinness Premiership fixture of the season at home to Bristol on May 10, but recovery time is a lengthy business these days.

Hill has not played since he masterminded Saracens' spectacular grounding of the Ospreys.

Should Munster go the same way as Shane Williams and company though, then it sets up a perfect finale for Hill and his beloved club - the 2008 Heineken Cup final.

He said: "I don't know how many more matches I will play - it is difficult to predict at the moment.

"I knew when I began playing after my second knee reconstruction that it would be very unlikely I would be able to achieve the same levels.

"It was tough after the second reconstruction, not least because having been released from hospital, I was back in two days later with a mystery virus.

"I still don't know what it was. Three-and-a-half weeks in a hospital is not good when you feel bad and you've had every test under the sun but it is not showing anything up.

"That took the emphasis away from 'will I play rugby again?' to 'will I feel good in myself again?'

"When I was released, I had to recover until I was in a position to do some light exercise.

"My view was the best environment to be in if I wanted to rehab the knee properly was rugby, because of the expertise of people there to help me.

"And, of course, I still wanted to play rugby and wasn't ready to retire."

Saracens boss Alan Gaffney had no hesitation restoring Hill to the pack after he sat out successive Premiership defeats against Gloucester and Wasps, with his back-row warrior now ready and refreshed for another punishing battle.

He added: "The Ospreys match was the sort of event or occasion that made it all worthwhile. That was a big day for myself and the club.

"I am not pinching myself. There are times when I wish it could be better, and if it were a simple case of living off the emotion of that last game, I would continue for years to come.

"There is a lot more to it than that, and there is a lot more involved in the build-up.

"I am aware that retirement is close. There will be an emotion when I finish, but you have to put that to the back of your mind when it happens.

"I, and the team, know what I go through to prepare for a match.

"If I was to choose to do another year, it would be with an even more reduced workload, and that wouldn't be right on anyone.

"Not a lot happens during the week - as little as possible. It is all highly-geared towards match day.

"Munster are one of the form teams in the competition's history, and we know that we have a tough task on our hands.

"It is my biggest challenge for Saracens, without a shadow of a doubt."

Injury sidelined Hill when Saracens last lifted major silverware through winning the 1998 Tetley's Bitter Cup final against Wasps, a victory orchestrated by star signings like Michael Lynagh and Philippe Sella.

A European title will possibly prove beyond them, but as the saying goes - you have to be in it to win it - and Saracens have surpassed expectations by reaching the penultimate knockout round.

Not that former Munster rugby director Gaffney sees it that way, though.

He said: "The Heineken Cup is the pinnacle of club rugby, but we are not satisfied with having made the semi-finals of the competition.

"Very few teams get this far - and that is why we must seize this chance.

"But we will have to front-up. If we don't do that against Munster, we are in for a very long afternoon.

"However, we know that if we perform to our ability, we have the players who can compete, and there are areas we believe we can match or better them."

As for Hill, a future in coaching could beckon, maybe as part of Martin Johnson's England, but that is all for another day, long after events at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry have unfolded.

He added: "I am hoping to talk to people and get a good idea of what is available inside and outside of rugby.

"Martin Johnson hasn't rung, but I did send him a text asking if I needed to postpone retirement!"

Sporting Life / Eurosport