Coaches are a rare breed and coaching is a strange profession, especially when there are language and cultural differences to consider.
There is no one single way of coaching that is effective, and there isn't an ''ideal'' coach fit for all occasions and all cultures.
Observations of Eddie Jones and Colin Cooper, while touring with the Maori All Blacks in Japan recently, provide a great example of this complicated mix of culture, charisma and coaching.
In a recent online article, Jones was described as ''colourful''.
That's an interesting way to describe this complex man.
Perhaps psychedelic is more accurate. He is diminutive in stature but big on intensity, with a stare that could turn anyone to stone.
I had the privilege of distributing a survey to the Brave Blossoms just before their second test match against the Maori All Blacks, and had to conjure up some bravery myself to be in his presence in front of a team that wasn't too happy with the outcome of the first test match.
Without saying a word, Jones had the ability to make me feel anxious, nervous and eager to please.
After waiting patiently for the inconvenience of the surveys to be done with, he gave his infamous half-smile and one-eyebrow-raised expression that was enough to get me scurrying out of the room as quickly as possible.
As I was making a hasty retreat with surveys under both armpits I heard him yelling at his team in staccato English, followed by the voice of a female translator doing her best to interpret his meaning and intentions in Japanese.
What a strange experience it must be for translators to try to do this, especially when coaches tend to be incomprehensible and vague at the best of times.
Some things, however, don't need to be translated.
I got a sense of the disappointment and conviction in what Jones was saying from his body language, his facial expressions and the tone of his voice.
The environment in the room was also so different from what I had witnessed with the Maori All Blacks.
The Brave Blossoms were serious, formal, quiet and the weight of expectation and pressure was palpable in the room.
This was in stark contrast to the fun-loving, laid-back, boisterous and light-hearted atmosphere of the Maori team that I had been privy to in the last week or two - and I wonder whether that was due to the different styles of the coaches.
Cooper had the same intensity and conviction as Jones but it manifested itself differently.
''Coops'' had a subtle way of communicating and very rarely raised his voice when communicating to the team.
This did not mean he wasn't an effective communicator, because he was clear and direct with his messages, and when he spoke the frivolity and tomfoolery would cease and the atmosphere would change to one of focus and intensity.
I know it is a cliché, but he had mana and when he spoke the players listened, knew to switch on, and took on board the meaning and intention of his words.
I'm no expert on rugby coaching, but I would say Coops was very good at relationship-building and had a knack of knowing how to get the best out of players without being over the top in his approach.
So which team environment was better?
The Brave Blossoms definitely played better in the second game and if it wasn't for a bit of flair displayed in the last five minutes of the game the Maori team would have lost.
But that is the great thing about the mix of culture, charisma and coaching.
Could Jones and his hard-nosed approach get the best out of the Maori team?
And could Cooper's quiet yet considered style get the Brave Blossoms to taste victory? I doubt it.
Both coaches did what they thought had to be done at the time to get the best out of their players at that particular time and in that particular situation.
It created a great display of the two different styles of playing rugby and it's great to see that Jones is willing to try new things to see if he can get even more out of the Japanese team.
He is using Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola, a person considered to be one of Europe's best football coaches, to help the Brave Blossoms break their 24-year winning drought at rugby's pinnacle event in England next year.
And therein lies the key to successful coaching: a willingness to continually learn, to realise you don't have all the answers, and to constantly search for knowledge that will give your athletes and your team the edge.
For Jones, it may not be an edge he is looking for but more of a complete shake-up and what better place to look for new ideas than in another sport and another culture.
I'm in no doubt that Jones and Coops exchanged a few ideas and tips at the after-match function in Tokyo, and that all individuals who take this coaching profession seriously are always searching.
