JOHN MITCHELL unpacks the value of appointing full-time mental conditioning coaches and explains why Gilbert Enoka gives the All Blacks the upper-hand heading into the playoffs.
Steve Hansen has referred to mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka as “the glue that holds the All Blacks together.” Enoka was an international volleyball player and, prior to meeting ex-All Blacks head coach Wayne Smith, had a relatively limited background in rugby.
The two men met when Enoka sold Smith sports equipment and went on to build a close bond with him. When Smith became All Blacks head coach in 2000, he requested Enoka to form part of the management set-up.
Since Smith’s reign, Enoka has worked with myself, Sir Graham Henry and incumbent All Blacks coach, Steve Hansen. He assists in cultivating an optimal, safe culture in which players have a sense of belonging – whether they are in the All Blacks squad or not.
How do you ensure that a player dropped from a match 23 or a greater squad still feels as if he belongs? By keeping in regular contact with players who have missed out on selection. As a mentor, you must ensure that if a player returns to the squad, he immediately feels part of it again.
A vital link between players and management
The mental conditioning coach also acts as intermediary between the All Blacks management and the leadership group among the players. Under his guidance, the player leadership group serves as an extended arm of the team management.
Enoka helps imprint the right behaviours, which are owned by the critical mass of the playing group. On paper, his current role consists of “equipping our men with the tools to be able to perform under pressure — giving them the mental skills they need to be strong.”
I utilised the former physical education teacher a bit differently. When I was appointed All Blacks head coach in 2001, I was concerned that there was too much of a disciplinary culture, which was created because of immature alcohol-related incidents. The team manager at that time, Andrew Martin, hailed from a military background and had a mandate to improve on-field behaviour and lead the All Blacks. I challenged this. I wanted to free the players up a bit more so they could be themselves. as I didn’t want them to feel as if they were boxed in too tightly.
Gilbert Enoka assisted in negotiating with the leadership group, drawing up a list of team protocols, as well as the consequences for players failing those protocols, and then getting agreement.
Good systems, great advantages
The major difference between the All Blacks and other Test teams is their leadership group, which reinforces on a daily basis what represents acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.
Wallabies Kurtley Beale, Quade Cooper and James O’Connor have all behaved poorly in the past – but have they failed the Australian system or has the Australian system failed them?
The All Blacks system, which involves Enoka, doesn’t fail the players. It doesn’t tolerate players’ bad behaviour, but works in such a way that it helps those players to alter their behaviour, not just punishes them.
Enoka will ensure that Hansen and his management team understand the ‘heartbeat’ of every player – what makes them tick and their emotional well-being. He has formed part of the leadership group for over 200 Tests. The All Black players trust him implicitly.
How Gilbert Enoka does it
Enoka is by far the best in the industry. I have never come across anyone with an equivalent skill-set that is as suited towards rugby team culture and climate. He focuses on people’s strengths without having to go there on a conscious level.
He was, during my time as national team coach, and still is, exceptional at his job:
- Theming campaigns.
- Aligning that campaign to each week.
- Creating the necessary excitement that needs to be generated on the first working day of the week and the subsequent days.
- Preparing the individual/team for the Test match.
Enoka will have an important role to play for the All Blacks during the knockout stage of the World Cup. He will be focused on ensuring that the players stick to structure and that their emotions won’t affect that structure when the pressure is on.
Players will be able to approach him if they need help remaining calm heading into the game. He will go through various match scenarios with them, such as what to do if they are behind on the scoreboard. He will help them focus on the ‘now’ during a match rather than the scoreboard. (Richie McCaw has already said this focus on the present is something the team is conscious of doing.)
That’s Enoka’s effect, and his immeasurable value to the team.
“The jersey can hunt out flaws as quickly as you can look at it. The d***heads and the posers who are not genuine about adding to this wonderful legacy just don’t survive. They become one-Test ponies and get chewed up and spat out relatively quickly. As an All Black, you understand the team powers above the individual and you are part of a wider legacy, which has been passed down to you from the ages. In this particular period, it is your time and it is your moment. We want people to cherish and understand that and nourish it for the next generation, leaving it in a better place than what it was.”
– Gilbert Enoka, in The Telegraph (2014)
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