RUGBY LOVES planning. Phase after phase is mapped out. Plays are worked on for months. Teams want to peak at exact moments. But how do the athletes handle things when the picture changes on the field?
That was the initial idea that led us to pitching a number of scenarios at Stephen Mellalieu, a professor in sport psychology at Cardiff Metropolitan University, who regularly consults in Welsh professional rugby. And this is how he framed them in a psychological sense. Check these out…
Losing a star player to injury can derail even a whole country’s morale – look at when France thought they’d lost Antoine Dupont to a facial fracture. How do you combat this?
“A coach may lead the discussion on this with players but I think you have to rationalise it. We talk about acceptance, which is a
