Mark Regan column: Proud to be back at Twickers with Clifton

Clifton RFC will play at Twickenham for the first time in their illustrious history tomorrow – and I will be proud to be there as their forwards coach.

But the players deserve all the credit for this successful season, in which they have already won the South West One title following victory at Bournemouth last week.

We are leaving for London at 12pm today and everything has been meticulously planned. We will visit Twickenham today, so the 'wow factor' is not there when the boys arrive at 8.30am tomorrow.

Then I will make sure the boys are tucked up in bed nice and early before breakfast at 7am tomorrow.

Kicking off at 10am is a bit different to what everyone is used to, but we are staying at a good hotel, so the boys will walk up the first and down the 18th holes of the golf course to have a bit of a stretch after breakfast. Then it is on to Twickenham to face Hartpury College in the EDF Energy Intermediate Cup final.

Whatever happens at Twickenham, I am proud of the effort the boys have put in this season.

I have been fortunate enough to do rugby as my job for the last 13 years, but I have complete respect for these lads, who work from 8am until 5pm and then go out twice a week and work hard on the training field.

Unfortunately, I will not get to say farewell to the Memorial Stadium by playing for Bristol Rugby against Wasps this weekend. My foot is not quite right, and there is no room for sentiment in this game. Paul Hull needs to pick a team of players who are fully fit.

We had a supporters' dinner earlier this week, where the club presented me with a picture montage of my playing career in a frame. Then Dave Hilton got up and gave a speech about me, which was very humbling.

Hilts has never been any good at keeping secrets, but he kept this one – and it was a lovely way to mark the end of my playing career, even though I have still not given up hope of playing against Leicester next weekend.