Like all sports, rugby provides success lessons which apply both to sport and to life in general. The World Cup has been an event full of shocks, incidents and comments which teach success lessons that could apply to anyone.
On Saturday Oct 13th 2007, England faced France for one of the great semi-finals of the world cup. England, after defeating Australia in the quarter finals, were, at last, feeling like winners. The English team had had four years of failure since they became world champions in 2003.
Now, after beating one of the favourites to win the cup, Australia, England were only one step away from the final! What had turned the England team into rottweilers instead of poodles to use the metaphor of John Inverdale, the sports commentator?
Possibly, England were so humiliated by their 36-0 defeat by South Africa early in the competition that they had been stung into finding the energy and will to turn the tables on those who had ridiculed them as the worst world champions in world cup history.
Possibly England had started to win because they had decided to ditch beautiful, flowing rugby in favour of the tactics hinted at in Kenny Rogers' hit song 'The Gambler'. This song had become a favourite of the England team during the world cup.
In the song, a man who is down on his luck (i.e. the England team for the last four years) is given advice by a washed up gambler who tells him:
"If you're gonna play the game, boy,
Ya gotta learn to play it right.
You got to know when to hold'em,
Know when to fold'em,
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run."
The England players interpreted the song as teaching them to hold the ball in the scrum as they pushed their way into the opponent's half. They would then pass the ball to 'golden boots', Jonny Wilkinson, who would score a great drop goal or they would get a penalty in enemy territory which Jonny would kick over to score them points. These tactics lacked glamour but were effective!
England now needed to beat the dangerous French who had conquered the unconquerable All Blacks last week. Eighty minutes of huge effort and skill would be needed for England to reach the final.
It had also been seven long years since England had won in Paris! They would be fighting the French on French territory. The situation reminded the English of former battles on French soil!
A friend sent me a 'You Tube' video of the Kenneth Branagh film about the battle of Agincourt in 1415 which showed Henry V encouraging his small and sick underdog army as they faced the might of France in France.
The captions applied his words to the English rugby team. The original words from Shakespeare sum up the feelings of the English before this match. They provide a kind of English 'Haka'. The Marseillaise may do the same for the French.
In Shakespeare's play 'Henry V', a duke tells Henry that he wishes that ten thousand men who were not working on St Crispin's day (the day of the battle) could be with them in France.
Henry tells him that he is quite happy with the number of men he already has and does not wish to share the glory with any others. In fact, he gives permission for any one who wishes to leave France to do so:
"We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us."
Henry proclaims that he would be happy to die with just a few of his brothers who were willing to shed their blood with him.
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile.
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."
This do or die spirit was summed up by the tattoo on the arm of Phil Vickery, the England captain: "I will fight you to the death!" Phil realized the size of the challenge the English faced: "We are going to have to give body and soul to get through."
Several success lessons emerge from Henry's speech and the situation of the English in France. Henry turned a negative into a positive. The fewer men he had, the more glory they would all have. He was ready to face death in the company of a select band of brothers.
The English rugby team do not kiss each other before a rugby match like the more openly emotional French but they do have the occasional hug! They are ready to put themselves on the line for their team mates.
Successful teamwork and esprit de corps can make a huge difference in ordinary life as well as in rugby. The right words can do the same.
Many a team manager or leader of any kind has discovered how the power of words can transform defeat into victory and failure into success. Everyone needs to fill their minds with powerful words that encourage action rather than paralysis.
France had beaten England in their last two meetings before the world cup but the French legend, Thomas Castaignede, warned: "Too much confidence can be bad. We saw that in the past."
Successful people are confident but not complacent.
David Ellis, the French defence coach, was described by one of the French forwards: "He is an English with a French spirit!"
He is also a blunt Yorkshireman. He was asked: ""Good luck! Will you need it?" "No. Don't think so." He was in danger of underestimating his own country men.
Martin Johnson, England's former world cup winning captain, stressed once again the importance of belief and doubt in achieving any success:
"If France lose in France it will be a disaster for them. We have to make France doubt. We have to put doubt into their minds."
Rugby had "left the age of reason for dead last Saturday when England beat Australia and France conquered New Zealand. It had entered the world of heart, emotion and belief."
Will Greenwood was worried about which England team would turn up:
"Will it be the bloody minded nasty group of men who made us so proud last week? If it is, we're one step closer to the win. How can you doubt these fifteen men? Keep the faith. They can do this!"
After eighty seconds of the match, Josh Lewsey followed up a cunning kick from Andy Gomarsall and scored an amazing try. The English team and fans began to believe that victory was possible.
The English team had started with the sense of urgency which they had lacked previously. They had also charged down several French kicks which nearly led to points. One commentator remarked:
"France are rocked and England are believing!" 5-0
France gained a penalty. 5-3 Beauxis kicked a second penalty and France now led. 5-6
Jonny Wilkinson never backs out of a big decision. He will always back himself but he was not on form and had missed three difficult kicks. However, he had also made some 'fantastic' tackles.
Both the English and French teams were defending well. Both teams were kicking a lot to avoid making mistakes near their own posts. At half time, England had the try but France had a one point lead. 5-6
After half time, England gave away another penalty. 5-9 to France.
Then, England gained a penalty. Wilkinson scored with a difficult kick. 8-9
'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' rang out from the English fans. Soon the Marseillaise was heard in response from the French home crowd. The Battle of Agincourt was well under way!
The brilliant French fly half, Michalak, came on at fifty-one minutes but "it is not always spoils to the genius and the attacking team. It sometimes is about the graft and the grit."
Everything was possible with 25 minutes to go. Jonny's drop kick hit the post but did not go over. England knew they could win but both teams were very tired. Who would have the courage to take a risk and win?
France looked like the better team but, after last week and with ten minutes to go, you wouldn't bet against anything happening. At 74 minutes England went in front with a penalty kick. 11-9
Then Wilkinson, the man France rightly feared, scored a brilliant drop goal. England led. 14-9
Despite his early failures in the match, Wilkinson like all successful people had kept plugging on with his attempts to reach his own high standards. Later, he commented: "You just go back to it and hope it will go over next time!"
When it mattered, Jonny came through. The papers later said: "Golden boots does it again!"
England were nearly there! France made a last desperate attempt to score the try they needed but the whistle blew and England were in the final of the world cup! Cinderella had arrived at the ball!
The England rugby team has made the nation proud for the second time in four years. The great Webb Ellis trophy would not be handed out by the English world champions without a fight.
England could have given up after being hammered by South Africa and after playing poorly against the USA but they decided to be heroes instead. One hero was Joe Worsley who prevented a certain French try with an amazing tap tackle on the foot of one of the French backs.
England were in ecstasy but France were in mourning. Greenwood remarked joyfully: "World cup finals are coming round like London buses."
Jason Robinson, one of the 'old men' of the England team commented: "We dug deep and have come up with a great win. We know how to close games down. In the last couple of matches we started to play with test match intensity."
Martin Johnson was impressed: "I'm pretty stunned. Those guys have stuck together and have taken their opportunities."
Greenwood was ecstatic: "What's going on? Suck it in! Enjoy it!
France had lost in 2003 to England in the semi-final. History had repeated itself.
Thomas Castaignede, the French commentator in the English camp, looked very sad: "I'm thinking about going back to live in France because I will have a hard time in England!"
Brian Ashton, the former school teacher and England coach, has said all along that: "We have the men to win this cup Trust me!" Now we do.
Few people would have believed in England after they lost against South Africa. However, after one or two good results the English nation started to believe again. By 2003 England had beaten everyone in the world before the world cup. Belief was easy then. By 2007 England had lost to nearly everyone in the world. It was easy to doubt the English team in 2007.
Belief and praise abounded now: "These players have gone out and given it a go!" "Fair play to the boys. They dug deep!" "Not bad for a few grumpy old men!" "Amazing group of guys to do what they have done."
Thomas Castaignede was gracious in defeat: "Sometimes when we have confidence we don't manage to continue. England deserved their victory. Jonny makes a difference. He tackles well and gives confidence."
Jonny knew how to be gracious in victory: "That was an incredible game by the French. My body has never felt so sore. We've learnt by going one game at a time."
Back home, the English fans were starting to believe that England could win the world cup again. If England won the final, they would be the first team in history to win back to back world cups.
Brian Ashton, the English coach, praised the team's bulldog spirit:
"They have come so far I can't imagine they will be content with just reaching the final. They will want to make history."
Several great success lessons emerge from this rerun of the battle of Agincourt!
Turn the tables on those who ridicule you and decide to be a hero rather than a has been. Decide to have the last laugh.
Choose what works over what looks good.
Turn negatives into positives and appreciate the people you have.
Be ready to face 'death' in the company of a band of brothers.
Listen to or read words of power. Fill your mind with powerful words that encourage action rather than paralysis.
Be confident but not complacent. Make others doubt rather than yourself.
Sometimes ignore reason and believe with your heart and feelings.
Act with a sense of urgency!
Graft and grit can conquer talent. Hard work can even create its own talent!
Keep plugging away when you fail and hope you will succeed next time.
Seize your opportunities when they come.
Go out and give it a go! Who knows what will happen?
John Watson is an award winning teacher and 5th degree blackbelt martial arts instructor. He has written several ebooks on motivation and success topics. One of these can be found at http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php
You can also find motivational ebooks by authors like Stuart Goldsmith. Check out http://www.motivationtoday.com/the_midas_method.php
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