On The Day

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A team is on it's own once they cross the white line.

Last night I wrote about the French losing a game that should never happen, but in truth it can happen to any team. There are always upsets and this is normally down to the way you start. This will set the tone for the entire game unless some individual can raise the teams performance levels. Once heads drop the writing is on the wall.

I have never forgotten Eddie Jones how he said the first 10 minutes was the most important part of the game. Yesterday the French knocked on the kick off resulting in an attacking scrum and from that moment on the heads dropped. Mistakes crept into the game and the handling skills which we know they have in abundance were just never there.

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Disappointed French captain.

Mtmack failed with his first kick at goal which would have at last given them something. Scotland scored and the French were left trailing up until midway when out of frustration a player threw a punch and that was the end of the road for the team by then. Honestly the punch finalized what we saw was going to happen anyway as the team just never showed up. Negativity had taken over and the half time whistle and reset button couldn't come soon enough. As a player and a coach you pray that the 10 minute break is long enough to punch some positivity into the team.

This can happen with an individual piece of magic unlocking the entire teams fortunes. Thinking back there was no piece of magic like what we saw in the two previous matches with them. The games against England and Wales they were a team on fire and could do no wrong. Every decision was right for the moment and individuals made it count. If that spark is not there and wrong decisions are made it effects the entire team.

Once this happens there is very little anyone can do to change the situation. The team has to find a way of turning the tide and this is not always straightforward. The same team on another day could put 40 points against a team that they just lost to a few weeks before. This cannot be coached as it is a mental state that one can only hope they overcome. France seems to have these lapses more than most teams as it is not that the players are suddenly just bad ,but how teams are balanced and what sort of individuals you have.

Going back to the World Cup in 2003 no one gave the Aussies a chance against the All Blacks as prior to the tournament they had conceded over 50 points against them. On the day of the semi final long passes went to hand in the first 90 seconds or so and the team never looked back and ended comfortable winners.

This could easily have gone the other way though if a pass was dropped or there was an interception. There are key areas in matches when teams tend to score and that is just before and just after half time as if you get that right it is a double score leaving it harder for your opponents to come back from.

The same happens in football and like any sport the most vulnerable time for a team is when they have just scored. This is human nature as the concentration levels and pressure have been released and it is how quickly a team can get back to being focused again. A survey done a few years showed this fact and most goals conceded are scored within 5 minutes scoring.

The French seem to be susceptible to this and more so than most teams as the saying has been used for decades on "what French team arrives". Consistency in performance levels have often been erratic for them and it would be good to know the reason why. Captaincy and strong leadership could be the problem.