When you're not playing your head can drop, and you can get a bit negative. I try to tell them that there are a lot of things they can't control, selection being one of them, and that they should just try to stay positive.

I'm the granddaddy of this side. I'm the oldest person playing in the team, so I've got a mentoring role. I've been around the tracks and achieved a few things. I try to make sure that the younger players reach their full potential, and stay on the right track.

Always have a plan B and C, because if it doesn't work out there are other things you can focus on. It's important to have a balance to your life, regardless of what you're doing. I've been playing at this level for a long time, but I've got interests outside of rugby, like my family and my children. They keep me sane.

At the age of five or six I just used to kick the ball with both feet. I wasn't very good to start with but I practised and practised. Once I finally got it, it was an unbelievable sensation. It was then that I realised that if you work at something, it pays off.

Everybody likes to indulge in a bit of ice-cream and junk food. If you want to be a top player you've got to be sensible in terms of what you eat.

The only advice I could give is to stay positive and focused in terms of what your goals are, and stick to them. If you can't attain those goals, maybe they're not realistic. At this level only a small percentage of players make it, so you've really got to strive to get what you want.

One of the highlights of my career was playing first class rugby for my province, which was Wellington. Another highlight was playing first class rugby with my brothers. Not many brothers get to do that. I can't explain what it felt like to be out there, playing with them. It was a great feeling.