Age is no worry for new Esher coach Ollie Smith

Having made his Leicester debut a few months after leaving school and toured with the Lions, aged 22, Ollie Smith’s appointment as Esher head coach before his 30th birthday should be no surprise.
The five-time capped England centre, who turned 30 this week, has been given the task of leading the National League One side back into the Championship after last season’s relegation.
He said: “I want to get Esher back into the Championship and make them sustainable so we can consistently provide a good level of rugby for players who don’t want to play full-time.”
He acknowledges the transition from a player to  coach has been challenging: “It has been eye-opening. Taking over opened up the off-the-field side of things with agents, dealing with the staff structure and recruitment.
“I knew it existed but was I ready? Probably not but it was too good an opportunity to turn down. You’ve got to learn at some stage so why not now? I started my rugby career as a player very early and it’s the same with coaching.”
He is delighted to have Kris Chesney as part of his coaching team and new scrum coach Ricky Nebbett. He said: “Kris will lead by example and do the coaching on the pitch while I do the coaching off the pitch. I think we’re going to be a very good team.
“We’re young, fresh and bounce ideas off one another. If things don’t work out it won’t be through lack of trying.”
The ex-Leicester, Montpellier and Harlequins centre’s playing career was ended by a serious knee injury sustained in a match against Saracens in December, 2010.
But coaching has gives him a chance to stay involved. He said:  “I’m still at an age where I should be playing so it’s not like my career petered out; it has just hit a brick wall.
“Ultimately I don’t know whether coaching is a long term thing. At the moment it’s scratching that itch of not being able to play.
“I genuinely do feel I’ve got a lot to give back. I’ve been in some fantastic rugby environments and believe I’ve got a good rugby brain and people skills, although some of my players may disagree.”
His coaching style has been influenced by his time at Leicester and Harlequins. He said: “Leicester’s coaching environment was very intense and every time you stepped onto the training ground there was an expectation to perform.
“I don’t think you need to be eye balls out every single moment but in general I’ll take all the good bits from the Tigers and the more positive things at Quins, particularly about working with a young side, similar to here.”
JAMES PODESTA