The WP boys turn it around!

A 41- 14 defeat, and a bruised ego was what WP u21s took away from Kings Park 8 weeks ago. Needless to say with a home-semi final at stake for both sides, the WP boys managed to turn it around, winning 36 – 9, without conceding a try. This should give the boys some good momentum going into what is going to be a brutally tough semi-final. There is no doubt that both the Sharks and WP are massively talented sides with great resources and opportunities for them to excel. I would like to offer some brief thoughts on why mentally I thought WP were on song, notably the confidence that they had, and the existence of the CTP (Critical Turning Point) in the game.

Firstly, I believe confidence comes in two different ways. Either it comes from previous successes or it comes from putting in the best preparation you can and taking confidence from the fact that you know you are optimally prepared. The WP boys in this case had come off a great win last week which enhanced their belief. However they had lost badly to the Sharks boys before and therefore needed something more than just relying on past successes to gain this win. Their confidence had to come mostly from the work they put in over the previous few weeks. Altering a state of mind is not an easy thing to do and therefore they needed to put in the work both physically and mentally to ensure that they believed strongly enough that they could win. The WP boys certainly have worked incredibly hard physically, and have also been working at their thought processes and energy levels – all of which I believe put them in good stead for the Sharks game. One cannot discount desire and passion from a defeat, but that is never enough without clear thought patterns, a common goal and a focus on process.

Secondly, in many games there are what people term turning points. Often this is a knock on, or a big tackle etc. I also believe there can be mental CTP’s as I call them. I am sure all rugby players, coaches and followers will know of some of these. This is when a team does something in the game, that either ignites more effort or more belief within them. The WP team pride themselves on their effort on defence but were wary of the enormous ability the Sharks had with ball in hand. It was without doubt in the forefront of their minds. In the first 20 minutes of play, WP had to soak up an enormous amount of pressure within their own 22 from the Sharks, during which all the Sharks managed were 3 points. Wave after wave of attack was repelled. And in my mind this was a CTP. Firstly, a strength of WP (their defence) was reinforced in their own minds, secondly they were then able to see that they COULD snuff out the Sharks’ dangerous attack, and thirdly I believe the Sharks may have been disheartened by the fact that their traditional strength was not good enough on the day and lost some crucial energy and belief themselves. Their own self-belief would have been dented.

These are just two of the many points that could be taken from this game. There is still a long way to go in the competition but the WP coaches and players really must take some credit for turning this one around. The Sharks will be back though- of that I am certain. I look forward to any comment!