John Mitchell & Simon Hurry
“Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
The way the three-time world champion All Blacks managed and executed their Rugby World Cup campaign should have any team that is serious about winning it sit up and take notice. While it’s apparent that New Zealand continue to lead the way in terms of the traditional elements of strategy, conditioning and diet, most crucially they have set a new benchmark in how they exploit the mental space.
Great sports teams such as the All Blacks understand that while superior tactics and execution are fundamental elements to the success of a game, the real secret lies in managing fear. Fear is both inevitable and unpredictable. It is rooted in perceived loss and a sense of lack of control.
High profile tournaments are notorious for inducing fear. Fear is a killer because it places the body under immediate stress and shuts downs a person’s intuitive, cognitive and physiological ability. In turn, it generates a reactive, emotional state (flight versus fight response) that lacks both discipline and control.
But instead of giving into fear, the All Blacks choose to focus on what they could control rather than fixate on the external forces they could not. All Black head coach Steve Hansen’s recent comment sums up the men in black’s overall approach. “I have always said that worry is a wasted emotion,” he remarked.
The definition of mental conditioning is training that allows the individual to stay in a positive energy space despite being subjected to a fear trigger. It’s only possible through practice – in the same way that an athlete gets fitter and stronger through training.
The value of an instinctive approach in a free, positive space was captured in Dan Carter’s post-World Cup final comments, “It was instinctive,” the world Player of Year said. “With the last penalty I wasn’t sure if I had the distance. I was contemplating with Skip (Richie McCaw), who was trying to tell me to put it in the corner and sort of wind down the clock. I knew I had adrenaline going through my body and it was such a crucial part of the game. Thankfully, these old legs have got a bit of life in them yet.
Throughout the final at Twickenham, Carter was solid in his exit kicking, and never missed a long-range goal attempt. However, the most remarkable effort from the flyhalf who has signed a three-year contract with Racing Metro, was his final shot at goal, which was taken using his weaker right foot – just to prove a point to himself – a sure sign of a man in the zone.
I was mindful that Australia coach Michael Cheika could become impulsive at some point (as he had done previously) and explode, but he clearly put the team ahead of himself, and no one should ever begrudge a coach who wears his heart on his sleeve.
However, the key question is around whether Cheika managed the team and player’s emotional state well enough in the week of the final? One school of thought suggests that he was too explicit about himself and his background, thus getting dragged in by the fourth estate. Did the former Super Rugby-winning coach have become fearful of the outcome instead of focusing on the plan?
Ultimately, Australia’s downfall was due to the fact that they didn’t have sufficient time to develop the necessary mental resilience that a World Cup final demands.
While fear cannot be avoided, it can be managed. Rugby is a violent, instinctive game played at high speed. There is rarely time to think and to process emotion, which is why the maintenance of a player’s state of mind is critical to performance.
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