The Game Played in Heaven

Saturdays Test Match in Auckland has been twelve years in the making and the days are counting down for what will be one of the biggest sporting match ups this year, the British & Irish Lions taking on the New Zealand All Blacks.

The Lions have toured New Zealand 12 times since 1888, have won only 6 of the 38 games played and only ever won one test series; the 1971 Tour when the Lions boasted such iconic players as Willie-John McBride, JPR Williams and Gareth Edwards.

Well it really needs no introduction; Saturday’s match will bring together the best players from the four corners of England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales and pit them against the All Blacks, a team that lines up with such superstars in their ranks as Sonny Bill Williams, Julian Savea, Jerome Kaino and Ben Smith. 

So why are the All Blacks such a formidable side?           

We can learn a lot from the All Blacks in terms of their values and the high performance culture in which they operate. They are a team that has had massive sporting success and also have a prolific history & culture; they have won three World Cups, boast a win rate of 77% in all international games, have a loyal & committed fan base and then of course there is the Haka. The All Blacks perform the Haka before every international match, it is a traditional war cry and challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand and sets an intensive tone for every All Black Rugby match. 

The key to the All Blacks success is that they have a purpose and that is to unite and inspire all New Zealanders. Let’s examine the reasons why the All Blacks are so successful and how they bring it all together;

• Character: The All Blacks believe that character always triumphs over talent. They believe that when you focus on getting the culture right, the results will follow.
• Adaptability:  The All Blacks believe that by developing a continuous cycle of assessment and refinement, they will constantly evolve to meet next big challenge.
• Purpose: Knowing why you are taking the actions you are creates belief and a sense of direction. The All Blacks want to add to their legacy by leaving the jersey in a better place. The Maori say “The person with a narrow vision sees a narrow horizon”. The person with a wide vision sees a wide horizon.
• Responsibility: The All Blacks believe the rugby field is volatile, complex and ambiguous, which means that a top-down command isn’t nimble enough to achieve success. This means everyone is a leader on the field, but all are working together towards a common goal. 
• Learning: The All Blacks believe in creating an environment of learning. Excellence is a process of incremental improvement. By finding the 100 things that can be done 1 percent better, leaders create cumulative and incremental advantage.
• Whanau: Be a team 24/7. Whanau is a Maori word that means to be born or to give birth and refers to the relationships among extended family, the family built of friends and teammates. A big part of the All Blacks culture is setting high standards and putting measures in place for peer to peer enforcement. Successful teams are those where everyone works hard for each other, submerging individual ego for the greater cause.
• Preparation: Train to win. Practice under pressure. The All Blacks practice with intensity in a methodology they call ‘Train to Win’. The idea is to throw all sorts of problems and random situations at the team members during practice, which prepares them for anything on the field. It develops what they call “unconscious competence,” which makes their performance automatic and keeps them in the “flow.”
• Sacrifice. The All Blacks are known for giving everything to the team. They believe that champions do extra.
• Whakapapa: Be a good ancestor. Plant trees you’ll never see. Whakapapa is a Maori expression that signifies the interdependence of everything. One of the overarching responsibilities of being an All Black, is to again, “leave the jersey in a better place.”
• Legacy: Write your legacy. This is your time. Whakapapa and legacy are very much intertwined. A new All Blacks team member is told from the very beginning that not only is this about respecting the jersey and all the tradition, but it’s also about writing a new legacy for the All Blacks. 

So how can the Lions possibly win?

The Lions will want to wins this series, so badly. To beat the All Blacks in a test series, in their own back yard, is the ultimate for any rugby player.

I don’t think the Lions can out play the All Blacks, they have too much talent. So how do you beat a team if you can’t out play them? The Lion’s only option, as when playing any team of such calibre, is to simply stop them playing.

The ‘breakdown’ area will be a massive contest. There is no Richie McCaw these days, however Arde Savea is a fine player and equal to the job. The Lions will aim to be brutal up front and will keep the game tight, the front five forwards are their strength and this is where they will focus their efforts. If the Lions can limit their commitment to the 'breakdown' on All Blacks ball, then fill the midfield with defenders, and in turn slow the game down then perhaps they can stop the All Blacks playing their natural game. Strong levels of discipline, a rush up defense and a robust kicking game could secure a marginal victory for the Lions, a match for the purists.

In order to beat the All Blacks in these three test matches, the Lions will have to reach into the very depths of their souls and take themselves outside of their comfort zones. When you are confronted with such an enormous challenge you often need to find your own inner solace, your own ambition and resolve.This will not be about taking part, it’s only about winning and the moment is about to arrive for the greatest games of these players lives.

Enjoy the rugby, and remember this is the game played in heaven.

Sydney based, specialist recruiter within the Finance & Strategy space. Working with Professionals at a Qualified/Manager level, within Commerce & Industry and Banking & Finance.