What is my motivation?

These help!
By Rich
February 4 2003

I've been mulling this over for some time and I have come up with Richies theory of Saints erratic season. No it's not the tight five, the back five, the back row, the half backs the midfield or the back three. It's all up top or as they say on the Rugby Club, 'the top five inches!'

Saints results of late have been erm…interesting to say the least and I believe psychology might well be the key. With the skill and fitness levels getting closer all that seems to separate the haves from the have nots is qualities such as confidence, motivation and determination. The process by which these factors influences a team are way to complicated for discussion here and need someone of far higher qualifications than myself. However I can highlight some of the psychology that is apparent through results and post match reactions.

Just look at Saints recent loss at Wasps “…we will have to look at what we did as a management and how we structured the week pre-game. We have got to find some enthusiasm pretty quickly.” Wayne Smith

Wasps watched a video of the 34-20 loss to Saints earlier in the season, of which Laurence Dallaglio said: “It does no harm to jog everyone’s memory. It was the right thing to do and it gave everyone that extra bit of motivation because nobody likes to be beaten by the same side twice in a season.”

These comments are really interesting because neither talks of improving fitness or skills or tactics. The key words are motivation, enthusiasm and management. Both sides believe the game was won and lost in the mind.

Let’s look back at the Quins game. Coming off the back of two defeats, at home to Tigers and away to the Tykes, a young Saints side shorn of it’s stars somehow managed to carry some confidence into the game after improving performances. Also they were playing Quins, the side that never wins away from the Stoop. Confidence was rising and they actually believed they were in with a chance of winning. I think these were the ingredients missing against Leicester and Leeds. What happened? They won and won well.

So what next? The league match at Welford Road. The stars were back from successful autumn campaigns, the rest of the squad felt they had turned the corner and confidence was high. Saints owed Tigers a beating a hundred times over and the burden of under-achievement could easily have created a different result. All Saints did was the simple things well. The Tigers aren’t quite themselves this season and it’s showing. The confidence balance was firmly in favour of Saints, as was the motivation. It’s hard work getting to the top and even harder staying there, the motivation isn’t a constant it ebbs and flows. Add to that the fact that everyone wants to take your scalp. Sooner or later the desire is going to give a little. Budge’s try was the first nail in the Tigers mental coffin. The second was after Hunter’s sin bin when the line stood firm. By the end of the match the Tigers were psychologically shot whereas the Saints could have played another half. The post match comments again were all about attitude and mental preparation:

Andy Blowers: “We just had the attitude to enjoy it, smile and don’t go into our shells because a lot of teams come here and they get sucked into the crowd and the atmosphere.”

“Wayne Smith, the former All Black coach now boss of Northampton, admitted as much, which is why they had worked on "initiatives" to hurdle the psychological barrier.” Leicester Mercury 2nd December 2002

Martin Johnson: “Everyone has to look at themselves, because we didn’t play well. We have to regroup, and show some character.”

Then the back-to-back games with Cardiff and the confidence spreading through the club carried into these encounters. The first match was the key as the victors were still in with a chance of winning the group whilst the losers would be out of the running for another season. The attitude was good because Saints wanted to continue their mini purple-patch. The motivation was easy. Saints had failed to progress in Europe for the previous two seasons and wanted to buck this trend. Cardiff didn’t really stand a chance. The second match was even more one sided as Cardiff had nothing but pride to play for whereas as Saints were closer to achieving their goals.

Cardiff player-coach David Young made some comments that I find interesting: "Northampton were the better team. I was pleased with our effort. They are one of the best teams in the country and we weren't far behind them.” From that I’d say the player coach went into the match believing his side couldn’t win.

Sporting history is littered with David and Goliath ‘giant killing’ type tales. Another such tale was nearly created in the cup at Edge Hall Road. It took extra time and the hosts scored more tries against Saints than any other side that Saints have faced this season. So does this make Orrell the best attacking side the Saints have played? Probably not. Orrell were wrapped in a kind of psychological armour. It is very rare that the ‘bigger’ team performs to full potential on these occasions whereas the ‘minnow’ rises way above itself for 80 minutes. They had nothing to lose. Indeed many reporters described the match as a moral victory for the Division One side. It was no such thing, it was typical and to be expected of this kind of cup-tie. Much the same can be said of the trip to Bath but more of that later.

To the Gloucester match and this time I believe that no side had the psychological edge. Both teams were highly confident and motivated. Either team could have won the match but the nature of Saints narrow defeat was to have further repercussions.

After the epic battle against Gloucester Saints had the ‘easier’ prospect of Irish. We all thought it so the players must have also. The noises being made about not underestimating Brendan Venter’s abrasive side were just that, noises! All of Northamptonshire believed that if Saints played as they had against Gloucester then the points were in the bag. But…there was also the chink in the armour, the scrum. Irish fed of our arrogance and over confidence (why else were Saints running the ball in their own 22 from the start of the match?) Then they hit the forwards where it hurt, through the scrum. Confidence evaporated, panic set in and the day was gone. Once again the game was lost in the mind. This time the confidence was misplaced and the attitude was all wrong.

To Biarritz and the season was on the brink of a disaster. Lose this and the European dream was over to add to faltering league hopes. This time the psychological edge was with the Saints. Confidence was probably low but that was counteracted by avoiding the problem area. Every time they had a choice the Saints refused the scrum, why pressure yourselves. Motivation was high and there was a further factor. Home. The crowd set out its stall early to back their heroes all the way. I think that Biarritz that day were more skilful and powerful. They were the better team in all but one aspect, determination. Saints had decided not to lose and they didn’t. The end of the match throws up another psychological aspect. A five metre scrum to Biarritz, based on earlier evidence should have been easy points. The Saints scrum at that point in time was the most solid I’ve seen it. Why? Because it had to be! If a team could summon that determination for every situation throughout a match they’d be unbeatable.

The Ulster game perhaps isn’t worth that much discussion. Saints raised their game at times throughout the match but were largely content to sit on a huge advantage.

The cup quarter final at Bath was a fascinating example of how psychology affects performance. It was like a reverse of matches a decade earlier. This time Bath were the plucky losers throwing everything into their best chance for a successful season. Saints however had a motivator of their own. They desperately want to get back to the cup final, to set the record straight after last year’s embarrassment. Again Smudger points to mental attributes winning the game: "There is a lot of resolve and spirit in our team. We are all going in the same direction and there is a good work ethic."

So there you have it, Richies theory on the up and down season. They have the players and the skills. Smudger’s job is to make sure they approach the game with the right attitude and full of confidence, motivation and determination. I’m looking forward to the cup games because I’m confident Saints will be up for it.