“They are too strong”, they said
“They are the favourites”, they said
“Those guys don’t stand a chance”, they said
“A straight forward victory”, they said
But the Welsh didn’t listen.
For those of us immersed in the Rugby World Cup we were again spoiled this weekend with some incredible scenes. Non more so than Wales vs. England.
What a game!
I watched it in a bar called The Bath in Dublin. I met a few of my pals who were up from Limerick. The atmosphere in the pub was incredible; I can only imagine what it was like at the stadium.
England were in large the more dominant side, while their decision making wasn’t the greatest I did think that over the 80 minutes they were edging the collisions but Wales were the dominant team.
The game was packed with controlled aggression, ruthless commitment, steely nerves and belief. For me it was ‘belief’ which stood out most on the day. Both Wales and England believed they were going to get the victory. You could see that in Robshaws decision at the end to kick for touch. He truly believed they were going to be victorious. Like in most close games it is usually one action that determines your status as hero or villain.
While Wales were underdogs, you can be certain that the belief in the Welsh dressing room was the complete opposite. At the end of the day it was a squad of 23 men competing against 23 men.
I was impressed with Wales and their squad of heroes. The reserves showed just how important they are to a team on any given day. Teammates got knocked back, knocked out, knocked down and yet the men in red continued to throw themselves at the wall of white, time after time, without a care in the world for their own wellbeing, because every hit was for their teammates, their country and their pride.
The Welsh resolve paid off with an unexpected victory that was incredibly deserved and earned.
Team sports are such a fantastic foundation for life in business and personally. It teaches you teamwork, it builds friendship and you earn respect among your teammates based on your actions. Being accountable for your actions is one thing; however ensuring that you don’t let your teammates down as a result is another kettle of fish.
Like in sport, in business you too need controlled aggression, ruthless commitment, steely nerves and belief. Belief in your team, yourself and belief that you will achieve the objectives you set.
It is imperative that you and your team strive toward that same objective. Your captains or leaders need to ensure that their players / staff are given the tools and training to efficiently complete their tasks. Sometimes you fall short and need to regroup however you can’t ask anything more of someone than their best. Like in sport you win some you lose some.
The Welsh’s on Saturday 26th September didn’t follow the script.
They threw it out the window and showed that no matter how many times you get pushed back, knocked down, stamped on, lose players, or find yourself under the posts and right back at the beginning, if you have belief in yourself and your teammates you can still achieve your goals not matter what obstacles are in your way.
