Steve Hansen and Heyneke Meyer have very different personalities. Photos / Getty Images
Steve Hansen and Heyneke Meyer have very different personalities. Photos / Getty Images
A top sports psychologist says how coaches deal with pressure is critical to team performance, especially in the lead-up to big sporting events such as a Rugby World Cup semifinal.
Dr Gary Hermansson, psychologist with the New Zealand Olympic team, said how coaches reacted to pressure came down to personality. This, he said, could have a big influence on players.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer were examples of very different personalities.
Richie McCaw and Hansen look on during an All Blacks training session ahead the semi-final clash. Hansen's relaxed personality has been seen as key to New Zealand's success. Photo / Getty Images
"Steve Hansen seems to be much more stoic and matter-of-fact, and I guess the other advantage for him is that he's functioning within a team that's been consistently doing well," Dr Hermansson said.
Meyer, meanwhile, was known for dramatically expressing himself.
Dr Hermansson said it was highly unlikely that Meyer's "out there, passionate, desperate intensity", often seen in the coaching box, would be found in the dressing room or private team environment. He said in the leadup to a game, Meyer might well be calm, contained and constructive.
"Nevertheless, there is potential for leakage," Dr Hermansson said. "If that's his passion, if the significance of the occasion is of that great order, then you're going to find some leakage and the players may have to deal with the coach ... under pressure."
As for Meyer's emotions last weekend in South Africa's late win over Wales, Dr Hermansson said they were likely influenced by his side's Japanese upset earlier in the tournament.
Steve Hansen congratulates Heyneke Meyer after South Africa's victory over the All Blacks in 2014. Photo / Getty Images
"I think he had to step up and apologise to the nation and face the humiliation and take the responsibility for that. That meant the significance of their last game was much more critical for them because it was not only advancing, it was also restoring some sense of credibility."
Dr Hermansson has been in his role for New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams since 1998. He has also worked with the Black Caps, several rugby teams and coaches. He said coaches were critical when it came to the mental state of their players.
Steve Hansen congratulates Heyneke Meyer after South Africa's victory over the All Blacks in 2014. Photo / Getty Images
"In the dressing room and in the preparation stages, how the coaches handle that pressure flows on to the players as well. If you get a coach who gets over-anxious - both in the language that they use but also the attitude they convey - it can heighten the tension of the players and can add to the pressure about the importance of the outcome."
The man in charge of making sure the All Blacks and their coaching team cope with this kind of pressure is Gilbert Enoka.
Dr Hermansson said Enoka, the All Blacks' mental skills coach, had been around a long time and had been through a lot with the All Blacks over the years.
Meyer came under huge pressure at the start of the tournament after South Africa's loss to Japan. Photo / Getty Images
"And he has been looking for ways to deal with the pressure and this time around they've seemed to have gone in with the deliberate strategy of being able to say, 'We're embracing the pressure, we're looking at it as part of the deal'. Whereas, in the past, they've tried to minimise the pressure ... and Gilbert's a pretty astute fellow and he's very good in particular with team and organisational dynamics."
Dr Hermansson said while last weekend's game was clearly a significant indication of the All Blacks' ability, as each game becomes more critical, the pressure will become greater. "Ultimately, for all coaches, the critical challenge for them is how do they manage their own anxiety levels and how they do that is indicative often of how the team will perform."
