Former ACT Brumbies coach Andy Friend has paid tribute to Pat McCabe's tenacity and ability to get the most out of his talent as the Wallabies winger's playing future remains uncertain.
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There are genuine fears McCabe will be forced to retire at the age of just 26 after suffering his third neck injury in less than two years.
McCabe left the field midway through the second half of Saturday night's 51-20 Bledisloe Cup loss to New Zealand at Eden Park.
McCabe returned to Australia in a neck brace after feeling similar symptoms to the first two times he broke his neck and was now back in Canberra.
It was understood McCabe was told a third break in the same spot would almost certainly force a premature end to his playing days.
Friend coached the Brumbies when McCabe burst on to the scene in 2010 and he played every game in his rookie season before his debut for the Wallabies the same year.
"He's a player that, when he's on the footy field, it's all about how he's dominated the opposition," Friend said on Monday.
"Unfortunately those sort of players do have injuries because they don't think about their body, they don't think about the consequences if they got into that tackle like that. You're never going to change players like that, and you search for players like that.
"You've got to try to help them get through without the big injuries. It's rare they do, because they have no respect for their bodies. They do everything they can for the team."
McCabe has played 66 games for the Brumbies and has 24 caps for his country.
He was in career-best form for the Brumbies this year, launching an undeniable case for a recall to the Wallabies' squad.
McCabe broke his neck on the spring tour in November 2012 and again against the British and Irish Lions last year.
After those scares, he was forced to consider the prospect his playing career could be over sooner than expected.
According to Friend, that's one of the hardest realisations for a sportsperson to confront.
"When you're told you can't play anymore, you feel like your world's finished," Friend said. "It doesn't make sense.
"You've got to listen to what your body tells you. If his body isn't going to let him do it, he's going to have to pull it up. There's a lot more years after footy."
An Australian under-19s representative, McCabe made a strong impression in a four-game tour of France in 2009, making his mark at fullback against Perpignan.
"He carved them up every time he touched the ball and made 20, 30 yards," Friend said. "Right then and there we said this bloke is ready for Super Rugby.
"He's been brilliant and has given a lot of enjoyment to a lot of people."
If McCabe was forced to retire from a neck injury, he wouldn't be the first Wallabies player to be cut down in his prime. Ben Darwin, David Giffin and Daniel Herbert all had to end their careers early because of neck injuries.
Former Wallabies forward Owen Finegan said McCabe had displayed an amazing amount of courage to return to the national team after his previous setbacks.
"He's done a great job, it's one of those things that knocks your confidence," Finegan said. "He's a player that plays one way – 100 per cent, flat out – every time he touches the ball or gets into a tackle."
