Learning from RWC losses

All Black Conrad Smith says adversity makes teams bounce back. But why doesn't it work at Rugby World Cups?

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24th September, 2011

"Winning isn’t the most important thing,” runs the famous American hyperbole commonly but disputably attributed to legendary sage and football coach Vince Lombardi. “It’s the only thing.” “First is first,” said Bill Shankly, another sage-coach, who was manager of Liverpool in the 60s and 70s. “Second is nothing.” You have to wonder whether players take any notice of coaches who tell them failure is not an option, because the reality of sport is that failure isn’t just an option – it’s a constant. Failure looms larger in sport than in most walks of life because it’s ...

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