Seeing the 2005 Slam team all coaching makes me feel old

I WAS delighted to see my old Wales team-mate Mark Jones get straight back into coaching with the top job at Welsh Premiership outfit RGC 1404.

Boycie, below, named after the Only Fools And Horses character, is one of the funniest guys around and was always great company in a squad.

But he also knows the game well and works hard, so I’m sure he can be a big success in North Wales. He will certainly get the team playing for him.

He did well as backs coach at Scarlets but I don’t think his face fitted at Rotherham where he only held the top job for a season.

But he has wasted no time in bouncing straight back.

Jones is just the latest of our 2005 Grand Slam side now coaching and it is starting to make me feel pretty old to see these grey-haired guys shouting instructions from the sidelines.

Stephen Jones was always going to be a coach because he was one of the most knowledgeable guys around rugby. He has had a big impact at Wasps and Scarlets and a Wales call is surely on its way sometime in the near future.

Dwayne Peel and Jonathan Thomas are starting out this year under Andy Robinson at Bristol while Duncan Jones (Ospreys), Mefin Davies (Worcester), Sonny Parker (London Welsh) and Rob Sidoli (Pontypridd) are all coaching.

It feels like only yesterday we were the ones running around on the pitch.