Rugby World Cup #1 Random

So it’s two more sleeps until the day we have been waiting for since South Africa lifted the Webb Ellis trophy after the 2019 final in Japan.

I was intrigued to see both two icons of New Zealand rugby, Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) and Dan Carter (DC) bigging up the French team. GOAT DC spoke of Antoine Dupont being the current best player in the world (guess not many true fans of the sport will disagree with that accolade!) and SBW saying France were his team for the championship.

Great praise indeed from both of them, however it did remind me of a recent lecture on mindsets and how positive feedback works in the brain.

Getting such comments triggers a reward system in the brain which can result in reducing motivation and effort.

On an individual level, when you’re going to do something, the research shows that it is best to keep the goal to yourself and not tell the world.

A little difficult when you’re in a global tournament that in a sport that has seen a huge surge in attendances as demonstrated by the women’s world cup last year.

Let’s hope Galthie and his staff can keep Les Bleus grounded and hungry for rewards. With so little separating the top four teams currently, little things matter.