1.Work hard. That's a lesson that comes from my mother. I was brought up in a one-parent family and my mother used to work hard and I got used to that mindset from her. Whether you're into sport or business or whatever - just work hard.
2. Believe. This is the key. It doesn't matter how talented you are, if you have no belief in yourself you will not fulfill your potential. I have come across lots of players over the years who are cleverer and faster than me but they have failed. Your greatest strength is not your physical strength but your mental strength. It's the top two inches that counts; the mental side can override the physical side every time. I still believe that if I have the ball, I am going to beat whoever is trying to stop me.
3. Tell the truth. Be tactful, but be truthful. If I'm not good enough I want to know it, so that I can improve. As a player you're looking to the coaches to tell you the truth, even if it sometimes hurts, and it applies to life in general, too. Sometimes you need to hear the truth in order to move on.
4. Everyone has a role in life. That's why I love rugby so much, partly because it accommodates all shapes and sizes. If you're heavy and overweight, we can use you in the pack. If you're small with speed, we can use you on the wing. Everybody has a talent; it's just finding what it is.
5. Do your homework. In sporting terms this means training of course, but in business it is important that work doesn't stop just because you leave the office. If you want to have the edge then it has to be with you at all times, just like a sport is for a professional sportsman.
As told to Helena Frith Powell