At times the toughest choice is between going for a swim or finding a spot on one of the sunbeds to soak up the on-tour lifestyle.

But the ACT Brumbies proved this week they're a world away from most teams when it comes to attitude and preparation.

In a week when the Raiders were plagued by off-field drama and sacked their highest-profile player, the Brumbies announced their arrival as a Super Rugby contender.

It's easy for me to say that from the hotel balcony in South Africa.

I didn't see the Raiders' woeful effort against the Gold Coast Titans and I wasn't there for Josh Dugangate as he said ''up yours'' to all Green Machine supporters.

But the significance of the problems at Raiderland travelled to the Brumbies' retreat in Durban and shocked most.

Not because the Raiders sacked him. In fact, the Green Machine should be praised for having the kahonas to cut Dugan loose.

It's a tough stance that many clubs in any sports would not take, simply to avoid the backlash.

Unfortunately for them it has resulted in a nightmare start to the season - their 36-0 loss to the Titans described as one of the worst in the club's history.

The Brumbies had distractions of a different kind. They're not easy to compare, but the team-culture issue that is at the centre of Dugan's demise certainly applies.

The Brumbies spent the past week in a fancy hotel 20 minutes outside of Durban overlooking the beach and with staff tending to their every need.

Every night there's a delicious chocolate waiting on your pillow, the breakfast buffet is superb and views are spectacular.

If ever there was a chance to zone out and get caught in holiday mode, this was it.

But the Brumbies aren't on a holiday. They're on a mission.

They set a Super Rugby record by beating the Sharks on Sunday morning and sit clear at the top of the Australian conference.

Captain Ben Mowen told me earlier this week that the players were on a booze ban until they achieved the desired results.

But it was a booze ban in principle, not in ironclad law. And that comes down to team culture.

After beating the Sharks in a 29-10 romp, Mowen was asked in the media conference if the players would now let their hair down.

They were free to. But they didn't. Instead they stayed up all night icing bumps and bruises after one of the most physical and exhausting matches the young Brumbies have played in.

That's team culture. It's not about telling blokes you can do this and you can't do that.

It's about having respect for your teammates, the coaches, the fans and the team's goal of rising to the top of the competition.

Far too often team culture gets scant respect. In the past week there's been Dugan and the Australian cricket team.

Who do you blame? The coach or the players? Probably impossible to answer that question. There needs to be a mutual respect.

For now the Brumbies have that mutual respect. It's serving them well as they chase Super Rugby glory and remain unbeaten after four rounds of the season.

The Raiders are trying to find it and getting rid of Dugan was the first step.

But while one team is riding high and the other is trying to pick itself up, it's only early in the season. There's still plenty of time for change.