France require a huge 'shift'

France need to embrace the underdogs tag and reap the benefits of it – otherwise the All Blacks will cruise to an easy victory in Sunday’s Rugby World Cup Final, according to rugby365.com’s mental coach Tom Dawson-Squibb.

The World Cup Final is upon us and I’m pretty sure I’m in the majority when I say it is by no means the dream final we all wanted.

A momentary rush of blood to the head by their young leader cost Wales a spot in the final (I have been saying for months that leadership wins World Cups), some interesting refereeing and perhaps a lack of attacking precision cost the Boks their progress. In terms of the other teams, weak leadership perhaps cost England and the Aussies further progress – these are all theories of course, but all with some substance.

But be that as it may, let’s look ahead to the final and what it will take from the French to overturn the All Blacks on Sunday and why, in all likelihood, they have no sniff unless they have a mental shift!

I’d like to draw your attention to an article by Dan Coyle, author of The Talent Code, where he speaks about how and why underdogs win and what the advantages of being an underdog are from a psychological point of view. (I highly doubt anyone would disagree with France being given that tag.)

In short he says that underdogs win when the goal of winning is distant and meaningful, even more meaningful than that of the favourites, and therefore the desire and effort levels displayed by the underdogs are higher. They can aggressively attack that superior force without fear of failure. Like David and Goliath in biblical terms, the underdog (France) can come out with the desire to be aggressive against the Goliath (All Blacks).

Underdogs, he goes on to say, always need to attack but also need to attack innovatively. The thrill of innovation and attack creates an energy and freedom that allows underdogs to succeed. Lastly he states that the bonds formed through cheering and celebrating small wins, as underdogs so often do, creates greater bonds and energy within the group, that favourites would rarely get as they are under more pressure and don’t celebrate such small wins as often due to their eyes being fixed only on the large prize.

So does that all sound a bit odd? Perhaps it does, but the point is, as the underdog in any sport, the pressure is often less (and against NZ who are playing at home after a 24-year drought and widely expected to win, it is definitely less), and the energy that can be created within an underdog group can be harnessed to great effect.

BUT, the problem is, France have shown very little of this underdog mentality at all, and hence if they are to win this weekend I believe a large shift will need to take place, as well as the All Blacks needing to show signs of being constrained by fear and pressure.

France have shown little of their attacking and innovative verve, in fact last weekend they showed virtually none at all preferring to rely on a defensive plan to sneak home against 14 men. France have shown little sign of that collective sense of purpose and bond that underdogs so often use to their advantage. There have been rumblings of dissatisfaction from the camp rather and they have displayed a remarkable lack of joie de vivre in their play, in their press conferences and in their presence at the cup. In terms of innovation, that also seems to have been on the back burner which is somewhat uncharacteristic and in my book will not stand them in good stead at all.

France, to have any chance of winning this thing, as clear underdogs, need to break the shackles, innovate, attack with all their might and play like a bunch of men possessed for them to have the chance of winning the RWC 2011. They need to embrace the power and joy of being the underdog and play with the enthusiasm and energy that so many underdog teams possess when taking on the Goliath team before them. Underdogs are unpredictable but when they win it is for predictable reasons – those reasons sighted above. If France chooses to embrace the underdog tag and reap the benefits of it then they stand a chance, if not, I predict a comfortable NZ victory.

New Zealand, on the other hand… well, their battle is to keep emotions high but in check and to be very clear of their process of how to win the match. Once the process is clear they should stick to it like a barnacle to the bottom of a ship!

Cheers,
Tom

PS. As always, I welcome any comment – so please either leave a post below or visit our website to get in touch with myself or Rowan.

* Tom Dawson-Squibb and Rowan Belchers run a company called Head Start Sport which focuses on the mental side of sport. They have worked with the Stormers, WP and UCT – as well as Rondebosch Boys’ High School and Paarl Boys’ High School.

Visit www.headstartsport.co.za to find out more, or follow them on Twitter; @thesportingmind