Rugby, like all sports, can teach anyone how to achieve success and how not to achieve it! It is full of key success lessons for those who love the game and those who don't. France showed the rugby world how not to achieve competitive success in the opening game of the world cup against Argentina. They made mistakes early on which gave their opponents the confidence they needed to win.
Successful competitors can gain strength, confidence and knowledge from the errors of other people! They also learn how to limit and correct their own mistakes so that they do not encourage the opposition.
The French team have been slaughtered in their papers since their defeat. Eight per cent of the French nation watched the match and the roof fell in when they lost. Even their sports psychologist had to go into therapy! The President of the French Rugby Union said the team had betrayed the nation by losing to Argentina! Thomas Castaignede, the French member of the English ITV commentary team, said:
"Let's forget what has happened and play with enthusiasm and passion."
Anyone who can act with enthusiasm and passion after a huge failure is a success whether they get any good results or not. Enthusiasm and passion may not mean that you win, but they help!
Against Namibia, the French team put things right. Twelve players had been replaced and a star player, Michalak was back. Thomas commented:
"He has got 'je ne sais quoi'. With him something always happens"
Successful people make things happen. They don't wait for someone else to get things going. Just one talented person with go getting magic or 'je ne sais quoi' can make a huge difference to the success or failure of any group.
Something good happened, at last, in France's second match. They joined their own world cup party and played with style and swagger.
They still made some of the mistakes which had given Argentina the belief to win last week. However, they now started playing the fast flowing, creative rugby that the French are famous for.
Thirteen tries were scored as France dominated the game. The French super hero, Chabal, known also as the Caveman or Rasputin, began to show his power.
One Namibian was sent off after twenty minutes for a high tackle on Chabal when the score was 12-3. France scored soon afterwards. 19-3 to France.
The game went flat for about 25 minutes and then France scored after a blatant forward pass which was not noted by the referee. Some parts of life are unfair. The successful get over it and get on with it! Namibia did so.
Then France scored again. The French player showed his passion on his face after he scored. He had been given a chance to play and had scored. Successful people seize their opportunities to shine.
At one point, Chabal, the caveman, came through the middle of the Namibian pack with hair everywhere. Later, Francois Pienaar, the South African legend, commented:
"He has the speed the power and the hair that I always wanted!"
The score was 38-3 at half time with a little help from the referee. The French received a standing ovation as they went in with six tries under their belts.
The second half began with France attempting more of the same. The Namibians with only fourteen men did some desperate tackling. Poitrenau did two side steps to the left and then one to his right off his left foot as if to say: "I can do it with my left foot as well!"
Successful people try to keep improving even if only to make the left side of their body as strong and agile as their right or vice-versa if they are left handed. It is even more important to develop both sides of the brain. A success skill like mind mapping is well worth learning. It develops the right brain and multiplies the power of the brain by a factor of about five.
The French forwards and backs were both contributing. France celebrated a pushover try. 47-3.
There was some brilliant passing and a cross field kick to the 'caveman' who scored. 52-3. The Namibians were probably thinking: "How long to go?"
Defence wins matches but no one could stop Chabal as he ran about fifty metres through one tackler after another until he scored on the right wing. Will Greenwood said: "You have to admire the brute power and force. The ladies admire Michalak and Wilkinson but there has to be something about that they can admire."
Thomas Castaignede said: "Chabal is a hero in France. Maybe now he will be the vice president!"
The French Manager, Bernard Laporte, sat in the stands with his laptop and chewing gum looking like little Asterix controlling the huge Gauls. Asterix took Chabal off at this point before he could score his third try. Vincent Clerc scored instead. 75-3.
The crowd who came nervously to the Stade Municipal were feeling more at one with life according to one of the commentators. A Mexican wave went round the stadium. Vincent Clerc scored a hat trick in his home city.
Eventually France drove over the line for their 13th try as Ibanez scored. 87-3. The French were shouting and singing the Marseillaise. An interception gave Namibia a try and the sporting French crowd rose to support them. The conversion took Namibia into double figures. 87 -10
Greenwood commented: "The French team ran riot and entertained and have a bit of belief back. You've got to believe you can win the cup."
Teams who say and believe that they cannot win the cup will prove themselves to be right. Dr Robert Anthony has summed up the power of belief in your own limitations: "Pronounce your limitations vigorously enough and they're yours."
For Namibia there was pride; for France points and poise and a record world cup score. Ibanez, the French hooker and captain, commented:"We improved a lot. We had a massive disappointment last Friday. We had to front up during the whole week and we worked hard."
Successful people face up to their weaknesses and work hard to overcome them. They don't hide away and do nothing to improve. England also had to front up and work very hard after their humiliation by South Africa. They did just that against Samoa in Nantes. Defeat in Nantes could signal the end for either team.
Martin Johnson said:"We have to have more energy and more enthusiasm than those guys today."
England now came to life against Samoa and won fairly easily thanks to the kicking of the legendary Jonny Wilkinson. Paul Sackey did well on the wing for England. The final score was 44-22
England played rugby against Samoa. Now they face Tonga who had beaten Samoa. Was England's world cup finally up and running? Will Greenwood, who was being interviewed in a town square, thought that the reason for England's recent success was:
"Little steps, small and often. Keep improving at the rate we are doing; then we've got a sniff. We've got a sniff of taking on Australia in Marseilles. After last week, that's all we could hope for."
"And we did it without getting run over!" said the interviewer as a large coach came dangerously close like a huge Tongan back row forward
New Zealand played Scotland on Sunday, 24th September 2007. The All Blacks can play only one way - winning and winning big. Their top team come to every match.
Scotland accepted probable defeat and rested some of their best players to be ready to face the team that would play them after the All Blacks. The game began with an unusual haka performed with huge intensity. It ended 40-0 with Scotland battling defensively to the bitter end.
On Tuesday 25th September, Japan and Canada drew 12 -12 in a nail biter. The Japanese scored 7 points in extra time because they never gave up.
On the same day Portugal played Romania. The oldest Portuguese player at 34 scored the first try which was converted 7-0. Age should not be an automatic barrier to achievement.
The side without the brawn was on top at first. However eventually the power of a heavyweight Romanian side told and Romania won the match at 14 to Portugal's 10.
On Wednesday, 26th September, Georgia defeated Namibia 30-0. This was Georgia's first win in any rugby world cup. Georgia were physically and mentally solid and meant business.
One tough tackle led to one of their tries. The Namibian ball carrier was hit so hard by the Georgian that the ball popped into the air and was picked up by another Georgian who ran on to score a try.
Success often involves doing one thing so well that the next success follows on quite naturally as a result of taking the first step effectively.
Another match on Wednesday was between Samoa and the USA. The Samoans were winning easily by half time. However, the Americans were not content to just soak up punishment and took the attack to the Samoans. They gradually caught up and nearly won the match but time ran out for them.
The Samoans won by 25-21.
What success lessons can we learn from the above matches?
Successful competitors often gain strength, confidence and knowledge from the errors of their opponents! They learn how to limit and correct their own mistakes so that they do not give confidence to the other side.
Anyone who can act with enthusiasm and passion after a huge failure is a success whether they get any good results or not. Enthusiasm and passion may not mean that they win their future contests, but they can only help!
Successful people make things happen. Just one talented person with go getting magic or 'je ne sais quoi' can make a huge difference to the success or failure of any group.
Some parts of life are unfair. The successful get over it and get on with it!
Successful people try to keep improving even if only to make the left side of their body as strong and agile as their right or vice-versa if they are left handed. It is even more important to develop both sides of the brain by, for example, learning how to mind map.
Successful people face up to their weaknesses and work hard to overcome them. They don't hide away and do nothing to improve. They also realize that they must have more energy and more enthusiasm than their competitors.
Successful people often improve by taking one small step at a time.
Success often involves doing one thing so well that the next success follows easily as a result of taking the first step seriously. Create a great product and it will be easy to sell it.
The main success lesson of this article could be summed up in the words of Winston Churchill:
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
John Watson is a fifth degree martial art instructor who has written articles and ebooks on the life and success lessons you can learn from sports whether you like sport or not. One of his ebooks on this theme can be found at:
http://www.lifelessonsfromsport.com
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