Whether in rugby or rowing or American Football, the shared philosophy of the key coaches/motivators is striking

‘LIFE’S BATTLES don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. Sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can’. Vince Lombardi has iconic status as a motivator, having dominated American Football through his time with the Green Bay Packers.

He is famous, of course, but when you start digging you get a greater understanding of the quiet men and woman out there enforcing the concept of excellence in their chosen fields.

Aristotle is a good place to start. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”

My moment of the fortnight came not as Ronan O’Gara launched another drop goal, but to hear how coaches view the triumphs of individuals within their charge; especially those younger players still open to influence outside the fold.

As seen in England this week, culture is a key component to success. It takes generations to build it but a matter of weeks to ruin it – especially when fools are allowed to flourish.

Peter O’Mahony has an awful lot to offer Irish rugby but Anthony Foley isn’t in the mood to acknowledge that just yet. “Yeah, Peter is a good lad. He is a leader within the group even though he is only 22 years of age. He is respected,” he said.

Then Foley checked himself a tad before balancing out his opinion: “He’ll be grand; he just needs to improve his tackling technique.”

Joe Schmidt, like Foley, checked himself in his measured praise of outside centre Eoin O’Malley’s two-try performance against Glasgow Warriors last Sunday. He too was realistic to note Glasgow were poor opposition and that O’Malley in scoring two tries did very well primarily to get into the position, but let’s not lose the run of ourselves.

Beyond rugby, rowing attracts my attention the most. I’ve never rowed but over the years I’ve educated myself on the intricacies of their unbelievable sport and the culture therein. Although an amateur sport here in Ireland, they have much to teach our professional athletes, be it rugby or soccer.

If you think Paul O’Connell is inspirational then check out Mark Pollock, whose story is simply extraordinary. He continues to push forward with his most recent ‘Run for Mark in the Dark’ events.

A rowing coach I turn to for inspiration and culture-building is almost unknown in Ireland. Like Joe Schmidt, Mike Spracklen is quiet-spoken and certainly smaller in physique than the men he coaches. Born in 1937 in England, he has gone on to coach lots of medal winners in Olympic, World and Commonwealth games, specialising in Eights. With last-minute drop goals in mind, I’m drawn to his philosophy.

“An environment is created where we have a goal and we go for that goal. We all have a point at which we stop, where we give up. We all have a point where we back off and it doesn’t matter how determined we are, what ambitions we have or how much we want to get there, there are times when we will back away from it. It might be when it’s raining outside and you might get wet. It might be that it’s very cold, wet and windy or you’re heavily fatigued.”

Incidentally, there are only two occasions when Spracklen calls training off. The first is when the river is frozen over and the second is when the river is fogged off. A former student of his and Irish international rower, Brian “Block” Collins, has noted his no frills, no complications, basic training technique.

Collins states how Spracklen has been known to drive his launch ahead of the rowers to break up the ice for their arrival! Spracklen creates an environment where the goal is to delay that point of giving up and push it further down the line until it becomes the last stroke of the race. Sound familiar, Ronan O’Gara? Spracklen says missing a session to the conditions will not break the bank nor will it win a championship or lose it but it does change psychology.

What do you think Foley was trying to achieve when asked will O’Mahony be fit to face Edinburgh this Saturday? “He’ll be grand; he just needs to improve his tackle technique.”

Like all our great teams, made up of great leaders and players, there must be a culture in the ranks emanating from the coach/leader.

As England have now discovered, leadership from the very top of the RFU down has spoiled an incredible culture that brought them RWC 2003.

All five tries in the RDS last Sunday came via the Leinster backs, which is misleading as the Leinster pack were clearly upset by the bullying they received in Montpellier the previous week. On 20 minutes Devon Toner was sinbinned as the score stood at 10-3. In the next 10 minutes, down Toner, Leinster scored two tries through O’Malley to bring the score to 24-6. O’Malley impressed but it was up front where the steely culture was evident.

A well-constructed lineout maul was soon broken by Glasgow. Leinster didn’t panic, regrouped and went hard at it again. Jamie Heaslip was immense in his simple yardage gains close to the line. He was superb for O’Malley’s first receiving from Jonny Sexton on the 12th phase and Victor Costello-style pumping through three Glasgow defenders for a crucial five -metre rumble for O’Malley to touch down on Leinster’s 13th phase.

Yes 13 phases are a long way short of Munster’s 40 against Northampton. The number is almost irrelevant as the lesson that Spracklen and many other coaches teach us is based on time. Winners realise they have an allotted time to complete their activity/play and therefore have to give of their all in that time, combining maximum effort in the time available. When you make a mistake in a phase or play then you return a second time.

O’Gara and Munster proved that if you do it right the first time you don’t have to take the drop goal again. Roly Meates calls it the “ruthless pursuit of excellence” and Spracklen calls it “intensity of effort combined with excellence”. I, for one, have looked for excuses in the past when playing rugby and I’ve since tried to think of Meates and Spracklen when I’m looking for someone to blame.

So to Martin Jonhson and after the week that was I urge you all to check out Mike Spracklen’s words on Youtube; ‘The Spracklen Rowing Philosophy’ and as you think of the leaked survey in England watch Spracklen’s ‘Everything a Coach can wish for’ (and, of course, there’s Mark Pollock.com).