Years ago, a golfing buddy of mine coined a phrase my mate Deon and I still joke about: “The margin between playing really well and playing really k*k is very fine.”
I’m still getting used to my new clubs, and I haven’t had a really good game yet this year. I’ve come close… but a bad drive here, an errant approach there, and suddenly I’m posing average to bad scores. I also know that when I start playing some good scores (like I did last year), I’ll suddenly start playing more of them. Momentum is like that. And, with the All Blacks vs Springboks classic this last weekend, we also saw it.
Bongi’s try could have been (should have been) disallowed.
The Springboks had all the momentum before halftime but lost it after.
A sloppy defensive effort and an intercept pass threatened to pull the game away.
The All Blacks could have gone for the posts to stretch their lead, but they didn’t.
Then the Bomb Squad went to work.
The match ebbed and flowed, and it was fascinating to see the momentum shift. Gary Player said the more we practice the luckier we get, but in a game like that, where both teams are so well drilled and at peak powers, it comes down to the finest of margins and opportunities. We came out on top, just barely. And a nation rejoices and turns its eyes to the Mother City.
I turn 50 tomorrow, and as part of the birthday celebrations, we’ll go watch the second test against the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium. New stadium, new vibe (I’m hoping). History in Cape Town has not been kind to us. In 5 recent games against the All Blacks in Cape Town, we’ve managed to win only one. And there are still a lot of people who are South African but shout for the enemy, reminding us that our rainbow nation still needs some work.
We do seem to have some irresistible momentum, however. Rassie’s big challenge this week will be to keep everyone humble and focused, success can easily breed complacency. Success also breeds success if you keep your feet on the ground and your gaze focused. And to not get derailed by setbacks, to keep on doing what you’re doing, and know that your game will self-correct if you keep working on the fundamentals… well, that’s sport, and life, isn’t it?
I probably look like I’ve got a few extra miles on the clock at this point. But I still feel like I’m 32, mentally and physically and emotionally strong. I’m supported by an amazing wife and extended family, I have two kids that surprise and delight and challenge me every day, I have a dog who unrelentingly adores me and gets me up the mountain every day, and I have a community of friends, colleagues and clients that get me up in the morning to keep on swinging and doing the work and know that my efforts will eventually be rewarded.
So, I’ll keep on taking the lessons from Rassie. Focus. Eke out the small gains. Keep on going. Stay humble. It’s been a theme of this era, and in 50 big years, there have been lots of big wins, but when I reflect, they were the result of consistent effort, application and resolve… and not getting ahead of myself.
PG’s Pro Tip:
I’m not the superstitious type, normally. But I do know when I don’t do my morning check-in consisting of breathwork, listening or reading something positive, and an entry into my journal, the rest of my day is just slightly off-kilter. In the same way, I now know that the Springboks are bound to get into trouble if I don’t have a double Richelieu and Coke at around the 50 min mark, just to make sure the Bomb Squad and Kwagga in particular get sent the right amount of aggression vibes from the fans. If you have a ritual that works, I suggest leaning into it. Your country and your team need you!
Comments