Attitude and mentality aren’t the same thing.
Not even close. Attitude is the manner in which you approach something, and in rugby terms, it suggests how much intensity you are going to bring to a match.
It is easy to observe when a team comes with attitude. You can see it in their body language, their communication and their eyes, you just know it is there, even though it is invisible.
You can also see when it is not there, like the Springboks against Wales earlier this season, or against England in the last test after the series which was already won.
Attitude can be externally induced, much like a motivational speaker does with a crowd of timeshare salesmen and women.
You hype them up, send them into a crowd and keep them hyped on caffeine and clichés. Just long enough to fill the room and start the projector.
Mentality has more to do with the psychology of the brain, the characteristic of your belief system, it isn’t motivated by external sources, it is part of your makeup, developed over time due to your experiences, influences and so on.
Your mentality is your belief system.
In 2011 prior to the Rugby World Cup, Pieter de Villiers was brought in front of the South African Sports Committee, which was particularly interested in why the Springboks weren’t expressing themselves more, why they looked like they weren’t enjoying themselves and ultimately why they were failing at the time.
Pieter de Villiers’ response to them was that the Springboks had a fear of failure, so when things got tight and the weight of expectation got too big they reverted to type.
That being drawing into their shells and opting for the conservative play.
What de Villiers said made sense for the most part.
Gary Kirsten had a coaching philosophy while leading the South African team that they needed to get away from the result-oriented mentality, the regimented mentality in which South African players were used to being coached.
His belief was and likely still is, a player must focus on the experiences and processes he has that has made him successful, the result will follow if you focus solely on the processes.
When South Africa won in New Zealand there was no weight of expectation weighing them down. Their previous trip New Zealand was a 57-0 drubbing, their previous two matches were away losses to Argentina and Australia.
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Rassie Erasmus himself admitted his job might be on the line.
When the Springboks finally stopped the last move of New Zealand courtesy of a desperate shot out of the defensive line by Dyanti to dislodge the ball from Damian McKenzie the weight of expectation was created.
That moment gave birth to a new belief in Springbok supporters the world over that this team may indeed become world beaters again.
October 6th, 2018.
The Springboks manage and controlled the match well, they continue to build scoreboard pressure until the 59th minute when Cheslin Kolbe scored the Springboks’ third try with Pollard converting to put the score at 30-13 in favour of South Africa.
Enter the All Black mentality vs the Springbok mentality.
One team defending a lead the other chasing it. Throughout the match South Africa hit the breakdowns at pace, this allows two things.
First, you control the momentum of the ruck, second you have a continuous flow of the ruck, the clearance and the next phase.
The defending team has lessened opportunity to attack the ball and therefore lessened opportunity to slow the momentum and flow of the ruck ball.
When the South African mentality changed over from attacking the rucks to simply retaining possession they killed their ruck momentum.
Ardie Savea immediately seized the first opportunity he could and not having been cleared as he most likely would have been just a few minutes earlier, got hands on the ball and the rest is history.
A brilliant kick to touch by Richie Mo’unga, a line out, a quick succession of rucks and the winning try was scored.
If you have the opportunity to watch the final minutes have a look at how the All Blacks used ruck momentum to score their try.
The ball carrier goes to ground and the hammers/first arrivals clear past the ball, the next pick and drive is almost instantaneous, thereby ensuring the ruck does not lose momentum, thus being able to inch closer and closer to the line on every drive.
It is nigh on impossible to defend ruck momentum, especially that close to the line.
The Springboks use a similar tactic for 60 minutes of that match, and when they reverted to type the All Blacks seized the moment, turned the tide and momentum swung their way.
There was an air of inevitability in that last quarter, and the All Blacks knew it.
It all stems from those exact processes and experiences Gary Kirsten spoke.
They chose to back their systems and their processes. One can only hope the Springboks develop that same belief system and at last break the shackles of the old regimented, revert to type mentality of the past.
Machooka
Roar Guru
Late to this one biltong... apologies! Good read albeit analysis... and pretty much on the mark. You can have all the attitude in the world, but unless you have the mental wherewithals to implement it, it'll amount to nothing of any great significance.
Boks aren't settled yet Smiggle. Rassie is only beginning to see who fits where.
Smiggle Jiggle
Roar Guru
Going on what they have done in the last 2 games. It is possible for them to win the WC. They just need to play out their skins a few games in a row. What happens if Flaf gets injured? SA backup no.9 is non-existent.
Smiggle Jiggle
Roar Guru
Can't wait to see both teams at full strength come WC. Boks can only really add Venmulan, but the AB's have a large chunk missing. Retallic, Squire, Moody, etc. Good to see the rivalry heat up.
P2R2
Roar Rookie
They still have Enoka...I think people need to remember the SBs played way above themselves and I defy anyone to believe that any team can only do as good as the opposition allows them....but as always stated...it is an 80mins game, not 65 or 78...80minutes...ABs play until the Fat Lady has Sang her song....
P2R2
Roar Rookie
He will ignore it at his peril and that is the reality of SA Rugby with its quota rules....can't get through it or around it...
Lyn Bebb
Guest
Good analysis. I like your way of thinking.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
The boks were running out of gas at the 60 minute mark and as the ab subs came on the pace of the game was increased as the style of game changed. With more ball in hand the abs started to play more directly making the boks commit to tackling and drew the outsides in leaving space outside, A blueprint to how a plan a becomes a plan b.
Lara
Guest
The ABs really learnt a lot from this test, they are so direct when they need to be. Everything goes up notch, the pill is treasured even more, but the composure under pressure is impressive . The Boks did not play badly in the last 20min , but they relaxed for a moment n u can't do that against this team. The message the ABs are sending out to the rest of the rugby world is " I can always catch u n u know"
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Thanks Corne' . A great and relevant article . Yes as a cricket supporter I am fully aware of Gary Kirstens coaching philosophy , but to be fair to Rassie , Kirsten had some all time great cricketers in his ranks . Highly experienced players who he could rely on to cement his philosophies on the field of play . In choosing Kolisi as captain , a move I thought then and still think was rank daft and steeped in so called political correctness , he has placed an enormous , massive weight of expectation on the young man . He dare not fail , cannot , will not .....how does he even sleep at night with that pressure . Now here is the rub , he cannot drop Kolisi or remove the captaincy from him based on form . It will not be allowed. The huge difference between Loftus and Wellington was that Kolisi was not on the field in the final 20 minutes , Whiteley had assumed captaincy .
Question is how much of that "sabbatical" is due to Springbok pressure? Happened twice now, in Wellington and Loftus.
Thanks MZ, hopefully Rassie can change that mental issue for us. We need to be more resilient against the old dogma of creeping into our shells. Just play the game.
Stillmissit, the Wallabies are an enigma currently, they can go from woefull to brilliant in the blink of an eye.
It is always going to be an issue, best is we just ignore it. Nothing we can do about it. Lets hope Rassie continues to develop the players on a one to one basis.
Agree with that TT, first time I can recall Hansen showing discomfort.
Pieter the Great
Roar Rookie
Well that’s going to be a problem next year when the team needs to be 50% black by the start of the WC, I don’t see how Rassie is going to achieve it, his team already needs that percentage to give them time to build before the tournament starts, unless Rassie is planning on ignoring the 50% quota.
Jacko
Guest
Remember the ref was Gardener...1 of the most pedantic refs going around when it suits and he looks the other way for half the match.....What happened about the kick out from taking the ball back into his ( SA halfback ) own 22 just after half time ?????Refs missed the SA half doing it and ARs missed it and Gardener dismissed the ABs telling him...Useless ref as far as Im concerned...3 off side penalties against ABs in fiirst 10 mins then SA defending on their line all offside and he cant see it???? And no I dont claim he is biased.....just useless...inept..
Pete if you consider there may be a turnover every twenty or so rucks I don't think anything is in favour of the tackling or defending team. In Wellington NZ managed to keep Marx out of the ruck, I think he had one turnover the entire match.
Pete Dossinger
Guest
Dave, totally agree. It seems that all Marx and Pocock need to do is put their hands on the ball with knees off the ground and the ref blows a penalty in their favour. What the attacking team is doing seems irrelevant. The pendulum has swung too far in favour of the tackling side at the breakdown.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Interesting thoughts. Though in the first half the ABs seemed to be on sabbatical as much as anything. Another thing I noticed in this game and the Aus Argentina one was the number of penalties given for holding on to the ball, when the tackled player has actually let go of the ball and the pilfered is either holding the ball against the opponent rather than genuinely trying to get it out, or he is unable to get it out because one of the tackled players teammates is holding on to him or the ball (which isn’t illegal is it?). A lot of the turnovers won by Marx and Creevy seem to come like this. Maybe one from Savea in this game, The refs don’t even bother to check whether the tackled player is actually holding on. And when you think about it, it should actually be stupid to hold on unless you’re holding up an attack in broken play. So what if Marx turns over the ball near half way? You can still defend. Whereas if you give away a penalty it could either be three points or maybe defending a rolling maul from a few metres out and a possible 7. I hope players are being told not to risk penalties by holding on unless really warranted. Or are coaches that stupid? And are refs blowing the whistle as reward just for attempted pilfering in the same way that some of them think that the scrums are all about generating scrum penalties rather than winning good ball? For Gods sake make them pilfer the ball and play rugby. Stop the stoppages and repeated kicks at goal for unearned points.