Culture is one of the most important aspects of a team. No matter how much history a club has, or how long the playing group has been together, there is always a constant struggle to find this winning ingredient.

The average age of players in Australian Super Rugby teams is getting younger each year, so naturally there is going to be a bit of a communication breakdown between clubs and players. Most blokes being signed are fresh out of school and haven't had an opportunity to think about anything else but rugby.

I think myself lucky that I didn't go through the pressures of top level schoolboy rugby, although even in the 11 years I’ve been out of school, the level of first XV 15 rugby has increased dramatically.

Schoolboy rugby has become a year-round program, with students being involved in pre-season training, including fitness and lifting weights. Then there are reviews and previews of other team’s footage for the next game on top of all their other training, not to mention school work.

These students are taught to be ''professional'' athletes before they have even finished their studies, and that if they are the top players in their school rugby competition, they will get contracted to a Super Rugby team.