You've got to be committed. It comes down to setting yourself goals as an individual. In rugby you have team goals that you strive for, but you also set yourself simple goals that are achievable. It helps to write them down so you understand what you need to do, and what your focus is. Put them on your wall, then each time you wake up, you'll see them. Then you can just tick them off once you've achieved them.

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.

You've got to be dedicated to train as hard as you can, for as long as you can, because in any sport, and especially this environment, there's a lot of contact. It's all about conditioning and good preparation to keep your body in the best condition possible to play games.

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.

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.

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.