Mike Ruddock grabbed me and said “no mistakes” as I headed out the dressing room door to the pitch. It was my introduction to a local derby in senior rugby, Leinster against Munster at Donnybrook.
What transpired was the inner workings of a less than spotless mind, one that struggled to process jumbled thoughts and emotions. That simple, almost incidental instruction, rattled me. Anybody watching would have been left scratching their heads as to what I was doing in that exalted company.
I dropped routine catches, was turned inside-out in defence, and in trying to tackle Keith Wood I tripped over my feet, falling to the turf as he cantered over the try line, untouched. I was swamped by negative thoughts, unable to focus. The internal monologue screamed ‘don’t drop it’ every time I sweated under a high ball; you can probably guess the outcome.
Ireland’s record win over Australian sets up Springboks clash perfectly
It is important for me to stress that my problems had nothing to do with what Mike said, but instead who I was at the time. Looking at me from the outside I was indistinguishable from my peers, young and full of confidence. The truth was a million miles away as I was relying on talent rather than hard work.
The chaotic nature of how I approached games gave me a false sense of security. If I didn’t know what I was doing, how could anyone else? When I was asked, unexpectedly, to be less unpredictable my walls came crashing down.
Rob Kearney spoke about a similar experience in a recent interview, recalling Joe Schmidt’s words about him needing a big game as he ran out to play against New Zealand in Soldier Field in 2016. Whether Joe believed that or not, Rob accepted the challenge and used the words as a fuel source.
In last weekend’s post-match interview Ireland head coach Andy Farrell shared a little insight into the relationship he enjoys with Mack Hansen, a player comfortable with his individuality as evidenced by taking to the pitch in one white boot and one black boot.
Farrell pointed out to the Connacht man, half in jest, half in earnest that in upping the ante with his boot choice, it would be a good time for him to put in a man-of-the-match display. Hansen and Kearney before him responded superbly to the verbal stimulation. Farrell and Schmidt understood how the message would be received; that’s man management in a linear form.
Ireland will reflect on Saturday’s win over Australia dispassionately. They managed to pull together some positive aspects from the previous two matches and successfully address areas of concern, especially the set piece.
They looked a vastly different team, in no short part due to a functioning set piece which is the bedrock of starter plays. The knock-on effect is marginally quicker rucks, more space and time to play, kicking on the front foot, and being able to better control territory and possession.
It’s timely because it’s impossible to make big changes in a seven-day window. In the space of five weeks, players have swung from having limited match minutes to amassing a considerable workload. Test match minutes come at the higher end of the spectrum. Time on feet this week will need to be managed carefully to be fit and firing come Saturday against the double world champions, South Africa.
The attack sheet will not change much this week aside from a wrinkle or two, so it comes down to the mental preparation and how much belief the win over Australia generated.
Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has demonstrated how adept he is at creating the right environment for his players to thrive, a six-match winning streak and all those tournament trophies, World Cups and the most recent Rugby Championship.
They have never been short on talent, nor shy in reminding people of that enviable strength in depth. Erasmus is on record in saying that he wanted a shadow South Africa 15 to be good enough to be in the top eight teams in the world.
Eddie Jones attempted to break down the barrier between the starting team and the bench when in situ as England head coach, referring to them as “finishers”. It was about role playing, specific jobs. He had limited success.
Erasmus has tapped into a mantra of team first, where everything and everyone is subservient to the collective cause of winning Tests. He has used whatever tools he can, the siege mentality fostered by red card decisions, disciplinary findings, all grist to the mill in energising the team and nursing grievances of which the Springbok supporters are fond.
Think about his decision to replace Manie Libbok in the World Cup or having to take off Siya Kolisi in his 100th cap, to rejig a team that had gone down to 14 men. The players trust Rassie implicitly, understanding that he does what’s best for South Africa.
Fullback Damian Willemse tried to suggest in the aftermath of the win over Italy that the Springboks felt disrespected by the suggestion they had fielded a weakened team. The rhetoric felt a little Donald Trump-ish, trying to control the narrative. Perhaps he was looking to take a leaf out of the Michael Jordan playbook, in seeking out a slight where none existed.
Even with all of South Africa’s success, Ireland still occupy a little bit of headspace in the Springbok psyche. Saturday’s visitors to the Aviva Stadium want to win this game, badly.
The heavily rotated team against Italy, and the poor run of results in Ireland, have left their imprint and Erasmus is going to lean into that emotional energy this week. The Springboks have a clear physical dominance over every team in the world, including Ireland, which gives them an advantage in the set piece and in wearing down teams to put them away in the final quarter of a game.
Words will carry weight this week. Two head coaches, natural leaders that know and understand their players, intimately, who embrace loyalty and tough decisions in the same breath. They demand the loftiest of standards and accept nothing less.
It will not be a training ground move that decides this match. It will be a moment of desperation, where a player works harder to get set early in attack or defence, creating or stopping a score. That is borne of a mindset, of an attitude and that is where victory will be found on Saturday.
