As the Wallabies prepare to face their toughest tour test yet, they appear to be finding a vital ingredient for winning: confidence.
It seems odd to talk about confidence as such an important part of a professional team’s performance, but part of the Wallabies’ performance woes this season have related to confidence issues.
You don’t stick to attacking patterns and develop a strong defensive front without confidence in your own abilities and that of your teammates.
I can’t point to the exact moment things changed, but the Wallabies of the 2015 World Cup were confident and then suddenly they weren’t in 2016. They weren’t perfect last year, but they adopted attacking and defensive plans and stuck to their guns. They tackled like they trusted the next man would do his job, ran like they knew the next man would support them.
The Wallabies showed great belief to win a number of close games on the way to the final.
There is an argument that says overachievement was a band-aid over some deeper problems at the top level of Australian rugby, but confidence was one of the key ingredients in making the most of what talent, planning time and opposition weaknesses were available.
This year the Wallabies have lacked confidence.
Their erratic play – looking organised and focused for short periods followed by longer stints of listless and undisciplined rugby – is at least partly because they are missing that mental edge.
Against England it all got away from them quickly in three Tests, each one building on the frailties of the last. No matter how good the flashes the Aussies showed, their slumps took them so far off the boil they couldn’t stay close enough.
The stronger opposition meant the Wallabies were never in the first two games against the All Blacks, despite again having short periods of competence.
After halftime in the Brisbane Test against South Africa, Rod Kafer gave us a fantastic glimpse into how frail the Wallabies’ mindset had become over the first few months of Tests this year.
He reported that the halftime talk included a reminder not to be surprised when they actually played well.
What a strange thing to have to say – you’d never have to if the team was confident and mentally sharp.
It might have happened during the England series, or it could have been residue from an abysmal Australian Super Rugby season, but the best players – many having reached a World Cup final – were questioning themselves.
There were some improvements over the second half of the Rugby Championship tournament, against South Africa and Argentina, where the pressure was reduced because of the opposition.
But the real improvement has been on show during the Spring Tour.
The Wallabies played consistently good rugby against Wales, and could have won that game by more if they were a little more composed with their finishing.
Scotland were throwing everything they could at Australia in the second Test. However, despite skill errors making their life harder, and silly penalties, the Wallabies actually stuck to their guns right to the end.
That Test was one they could have lost, Scotland were ready. But the Wallabies didn’t give up, they didn’t lapse into the same aimless rugby we’d seen earlier in the year.
The France Test was very close, and it could be argued the Wallabies deserved to be penalised while on defence at the death.
However, despite France being robust opponents with a chance to win the game late, Australia refused to stop playing for one another.
The game was very mistake-ridden at times, but that wasn’t a deterrent. The Wallabies kept the ball in hand and backed their skills and strike weapons. Earlier this year mistakes led to more erratic play, not more determined efforts.
It was heartening that the wider squad players who got a run against France were able to show the same kind of determination and extra confidence the first team players had in the previous two Tests.
So, with Ireland looming, the Wallabies are showing signs they believe in themselves more than at any time this season.
They are sticking to attacking patterns and starting to trust each other enough to employ a rushing defence again.
The Irish are an order of magnitude tougher than anything the Wallabies have faced on tour so far – you can’t snap an all-time All Blacks win steak without playing well – but the tourists might have it in them.
Playing a team as good as Ireland, and knowing they just beat the All Blacks, poses a new test to the improved confidence of the Wallabies. They’ll have to step up, yet again.
But they can look back on three clear improvements in three weeks to steel themselves.
Steve T
Guest
Penalty count against them made it hard on Wallabies in that series, just as it has impacted every side this year. Even All Blacks struggled against Argentina on the back of constant penalties in the 1st half of their first test. And before everyone goes on about ill discipline, we all know that penalties become a lottery out there. Decisions are so subjective and different refs may easily have reversed the most lopsided penalty counts. And even adapting to the ref doesn't necessary count for much because refs, like all of us, are only human and see things and interpret things differently. Certainly all of us on the roar see the same things but have totally opposed views on what occurred.
tsuru
Roar Rookie
I really think you're onto something Elisha. I think anyone who has played any competitive sport has experienced the effects of confidence. In August, in a similar discussion on The Roar, I posted this and I still believe it is relevant to this article. "Our squash team was playing in the top grade. One season we finished last and by the end of the season we were falling apart. Next season we were dropped a grade. We appreciated the difference in standard, we won the comp, regaining confidence and were sent back up to the top grade the next season and we made the the grand final playing against pretty much the same guys who had destroyed us 2 seasons ago. Same team, same opposition, more confidence. " In case people want to argue that squash is an individual sport and rugby a team one, I would counter that, as Elisha says, "You don’t stick to attacking patterns and develop a strong defensive front without confidence in your own abilities and that of your teammates."
rasty
Guest
That would be the influence of Australian rules footy.
Ex
Guest
Too right Ma Chook! It is aiken to my halcyon days tearing it up on the PU scene (please grant me some liberty ? ) You can strategize and plan but if there is no 'confidence' - "crash and burn eh Mav?!" All the players feed off this as well as the "opposition". If they sense hesitation, lack of confidence then you will be playing against yourself (or with yourself ) And if there is over-confidence and you still crash then it is a question of well... swallow that pride or make up the excuses - She just wasn't into me. I shouldn't of had those last 5 tequila shots That other guy just had nicer hair Either way a level assurdenss, positivity et al; ala confidence is needed. Especially in professional sports! Thank you for the article Elisha And Chook. I failed to comment but loved your article. The roar does bring together some characters and it is great to see you guys getting together, sharing a few sherbets and enjoying the fruits of this forum.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Nice one EP, yep the Wallas really have to step up against Ireland. They have been outstanding and have a forward pack as good as any in the game.
Peter
Guest
And the "pretty elite" is who exactly, apart from the inhabitants of your over-wrought imagination? (I will allow you to nominate five- eighths.)
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Guest
Stillmissit, your argument is unneccesarily dualist, i.e. it's not 'either confidence' or 'plotting and planning'. Each feeds the other. They are not separate. They depend on each other. Confidence, with Latin roots, means (moving forward) 'with faith', trust. A fair intention for a rugby team, no? A common theme these days is that of 'building pressure'. Enough pressure applied for an extended period erodes the confident resistance of an opponent. Voila! Confidence (or the lack of it) decides games.
Delfina
Guest
Dally, do you know if Jim also wrote a book that helps us spectators apply their skills and mindset under pressure. Could be a bit of a market for something like this.
Bring Back...?
Guest
I'd love to agree but if we were to lose to both Ireland and England in next 2 weeks, can we say we are in a better place? Who have we beaten of any real note? South Africa are at rock bottom, Argentina is a team we expect to beat, Wales were under-strength and poor, Scotland and a France which has struggled since 2011. It would be nice to get a win over at least 1 of the other top 4 teams. Then we might deserve to walk with a little swagger.
John
Guest
Dont get too carried away with wins over a poor Wales, close Scotland game and most likely the worst French team i have seen and i have been watching them since 1968. Hopefully WB goe well in the remaining games but dont hold your breath.
Only one eye
Guest
Good article. I think some readers missed the essence that a confident team is a collective confidence of the players trusting each other so they can execute the training. Vital -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Dave_S
Guest
Yep, same as me playing much better pool when I've had a few :)
Dave_S
Guest
Agree Mr Chook - no amount of planning etc will help if you don't seize the opportunities as they arise. I've heard it called a 'bias for action' in other contexts - the mindset that, when presented with choices, do the positive thing (eg run and pass) rather than the negative thing (take the tackle or kick it back). How many tries to the ABs score on quick turnover ball compared to lesser teams? They do it because they think they can.
Joe King
Guest
Confidence needs to be clearly defined for players. It can be a quiet confidence that fits well with humility, and which would work well with the Oz Psyche (NZ players exhibit this). And there is an overconfidence that fits well with arrogance. This has been a problem for a few of the Wallabies from about 2003-2014. Hopefully, Cheika has fixed this.
Machooka
Roar Guru
Excellent Dally... much appreciated.
Dally
Guest
There are some great books by Jim Afremow : 'The Champions Mind' and 'The Champions Comeback'. All about how great athletes prepare, think and apply their skills and mindset under pressure to be the best they can. Great for any player, but good for anyone who wants to make the best of themselves, whatever they do in life.
Daz
Guest
When you are young and ten foot tall and bullet proof you walk into bars and clubs like you own the place. Confidence is everything. You have to smash your competition with your aura. So much of communication is non-verbal. Hence why Steve Waugh always insisted his troops kept their heads up. But he was a fighter, not from the pretty elite but from the grass-roots. So yep confidence is key.
Canetragic
Guest
Elisha - confidence is a hard thing to capture and nurture, and hard to find when you don't have it. But a bit like that old sporting thing - momentum - it seems to be an essential ingredient for team success. If as you say the Wallabies are starting to build some that's great, and winning right matches is a good way to go about that. At this early stage it may be a fairly fragile thing though? I'll be really interested to see how this new found confidence prevails against Ireland and then England. The Irish seem to be on a roll, and judging from the commentary pretty pissed after last weeks loss. I think the Wallabies will need all the confidence they can find. And hard shouldered forwards, rock solid set pieces, clever backs and straight kicking!
Machooka
Roar Guru
Great quote... thanks Delfina!
Lunch
Guest
Thanks Hoy, you remind me of the 2003 RWC, when beating the AB's in the SF got us to the Final and kept Eddie Jones and Gregan in their places for far too long afterwards. We then descended into the dark years of Australian rugby when Eddie was finally kicked out and we went further backwards under Connolly and the Rodzilla experiments. If we hadn't made the 2003 final Eddie would have gone straight away and we could have cleaned up the mess, just as the English have after been kicked early last year, ditching a useless coach and rebuilding straight away with a new coach. Having said that it seems Cheika has finally realized that he had the wrong players and has finally given some new blood a go and we appear to have greater depth. Hopefully this takes us to great wins in the final two tests, and we can repay Eddie by thrashing them to win the Grand Slam.