Gustard relishing coaching role

10:20am Wednesday 21st May 2008

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Paul Gustard has revealed the lure of taking his first tentative coaching steps alongside Eddie Jones was the reason for his surprise playing retirement.

The 32-year-old called time on his playing career earlier this month after new Sarries boss Jones sounded him out about a coaching role back in February. The former back row jumped at the chance of becoming the club's new skills coach in a team that also includes new forwards guru Alex Sanderson and player-coach Cobus Visagie.

However, Gustard revealed he would not have hung up his boots for anyone, such is the aura surrounding the new director of rugby.

"It was a nice surprise to be asked," said the Geordie. "He has seen something in me that he thinks will make me a reasonable coach and I don't want to let him down. I've always thought about a career in coaching post-rugby and when it came about I thought it might be too soon (to quit playing). But the opportunity to work alongside someone like Eddie Jones does not come about too often and there was no way I was going to let it pass me by.

"There were quite a few clubs interested in me (as a player) which was great but when this was recommended to me it really gave me something to look forward to. If I didn't take it now the opportunity might not have presented itself next year and in that regard it made my decision to quit playing easier."

"I've always considered myself to be a reasonable thinker of the game and a quick learner," he added. "To be around Eddie will be vitally important for helping me becoming a good coach. I couldn't ask for a better mentor."

Gustard, who will marry his partner Nina in the summer, admits it is tough leaving his playing days behind but is relishing the task of helping the Men in Black become a genuine Premiership force.

"It is one thing getting a job and another making an impact," he commented. "When you speak to Eddie you get straight answers. It is a target of mine to please him and to help improve the players that we have got to make sure we get into the top four and win trophies.

"I would like to believe I will be a pretty decent coach.It's a different challenge and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm getting married in the summer and I'll be coming back to a new job, so it is very much the start of a new phase in my life. I would not have stopped playing for anything else other than this.

"It is always hard to give up playing but I've had a really good career and I'm still going to be involved in rugby in what I consider to be the next best thing to playing. I'm really going to get my teeth stuck into it - it is the right opportunity and the right job for me."

The former Leicester Tigers and London Irish powerhouse admits he has received some mickey-taking from his team-mates over the transition but has already thrown down the gauntlet to them.

"I felt I was pretty competitive last season, I played pretty well and felt I was one of the better players," he said. "I've enjoyed the last two years at Saracens and I'd like to think I've contributed to the stability we've now got here.

"I've had a bit of ribbing from the boys as well as congratulations but I like to think they respected me as a player and a person and hopefully that will extend to me as a coach."