New breed of coaches make us all feel young! – Jonathan Thomas

You know you're getting on a bit when rugby coaches – along with policemen – start looking younger than you…
But Worcester Warriors and former Wales back-rower Jonathan Thomas has hailed the advent of young coaches in rugby's top flight as good for the game.
Sam Vesty, 33, was promoted to backs coach at Worcester earlier this month, and Thomas is backing the former England international to excel in his new role.
Thomas cites the example of Ospreys boss – and his former team-mate – Steve Tandy, who was made head coach of the Welsh region in 2012, aged just 32.
“Rugby is evolving very quickly,” said Thomas, who has just signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him at Sixways until he is 34. “The beauty of having these guys who have just finished playing is that they are in touch with that.
“When I was a young player, you seemed to have the same sort of coaches that went around different clubs. They all tended to be in an older age bracket.
“We now have guys who are not long finished in the game going straight in as coaches. Steve Tandy is a good example. I played with him throughout my career, now he's coaching.”
Former Leicester and Bath playmaker Vesty moved to Worcester over the summer of 2013 as academy transition manager, but received his recent promotion from director of rugby Dean Ryan immediately after Shane Howarth's exit.
And Thomas, capped 67 times by Wales, believes Vesty's empathy will be key in bringing out the best in the Warriors' young squad.
“Sam worked a lot with the young players in the A-League and the British and Irish Cup. He is young but he has done really well since he has come to the club.
“Sam's not long retired from playing the game so he understands a lot about the modern way of playing and psychologically how players feel day-to-day. He can relate very well.
“Sam's really impressive in how he goes about his business and it works well at the club. Dean has a wealth of experience, as does Carl Hogg, and then Sam brings something different again.
“I think it's really healthy to have that balance in age. Rugby is very different to ten years ago, when it was maybe just a coach and his assistant. There are bigger back room staffs and you need that balance.”
However, Thomas, who skippered Worcester through some dark times last season, is quick to play down his status as ‘elder statesman' within the Warriors side.
“We only have half a dozen guys who are in their late 20s or early 30s, so of course there are examples to be set on and off the field,” he said.
“But I think you can overstate these things. First and foremost, I want to make sure I'm playing well. I need to set an example on the field.”
TOM BRADSHAW