A natural leader who is up there with the greatest captains

mould. He tried to dominate the areas of play he was involved in and gave the rest of the team such a positive lead. In the back row, he had a huge impact in games.

Much like Richie Mccaw, Sam adapted his game at the breakdown. He could play in more than one position in the back row, which helps, and was very good at the first-up tackles. But when he was second to the ruck he was exceedingly clever, superb at getting his hands on the ball and clearing that space for the turnovers.

Regarding his awareness of when to go into the breakdown or when to wait, and his support lines for other players, sometimes it is that off-the-ball decision making that so often gets you into good positions as a team and which people do not always appreciate. That is why I think Warburton was

Sam gave the rest of the team such a positive lead. In the back row, he had a huge impact

so good. His impact on games was massive. His on-field behaviour and leadership were also second to none. Players were naturally inspired by him and followed him.

And off the field he has been a great ambassador for the whole of rugby union as a sport. Just an outstanding individual and a huge credit to the game.

He will be sadly missed and at the age of 29, it is too early, really. From a wider perspective, we have to be careful with the talk about global seasons, how many games we are expecting players to be involved in.

The news of Warburton’s retirement really highlights that the current schedules need adjusting to meet the huge demands the sport now places on its players.