The All Blacks' right-hand man

Gilbert Enoka watches on as the All Blacks huddle during a practice at the Rugby World Cup. Photo / Getty

Self belief doesn't always come naturally. Could the All Blacks, a man down and five points in arrears at halftime during their World Cup semifinal against South Africa, have fought back to win without specialist mental training? The evidence suggests not.

Enter Gilbert Enoka, the team's mental skills coach, who last year took on the added responsibilities of assistant manager under Darren Shand.

Enoka, credited by former All Blacks lock Brad Thorn as the critical element to their 2011 World Cup final victory over France - by the slimmest of margins - can claim his part in another significant success in helping the team to the final of the 2015 edition.

There was no panic among the players, despite the apparent desperate situation at Twickenham last weekend and that's because they have become used to playing with clear heads despite the pressure. For supporters back home and around the world it was all going a bit 1999 against France in the semifinal at the same venue, or eight years later against the same opposition in Cardiff.

Not this time. Just as they did against France at Eden Park four years ago, the All Blacks got home by absorbing the pressure. They were clinical and ruthless against the Boks in the second half. Dan Carter's dropped goal just after the break was probably the clearest indication of that.

The team's physical fitness has got them out of several tight spots over the years, but so has their mental fitness, and it might just be the key ingredient in defeating the Wallabies at Twickenham on Sunday.

Enoka, a former volleyball international, was invited into the All Black set up by Wayne Smith in 2000 and he has been around ever since.

In an interview with Britain's Daily Telegraph last year, Enoka explained his methods in attempting to get players to think clearly under pressure.

His method, which he has adapted from a sales company, is about what he calls blue-head thinking, and red-head thinking.

A person who is thinking clearly and fully engaged on a subject is making their best decisions - blue-head thinking. A distracted person who might be experiencing stress or frustration is in red-head mode.

"The brain is made up of three parts: instinct, emotion and thinking," Enoka told the newspaper. "What often happens under pressure is that the thinking shuts down so you are relying on emotion and instinct. That in turn means you can no longer pick up the cues and information to make good decisions."

The paper said the All Blacks had techniquest to pull themselves from red-head back to blue-head thinking. "Richie McCaw would stamp his feet, Kieran Read would stare at the farthest point in the stadium. All these strategies re-engage the player in the moment and back into blue-head mode."

Enoka told The Telegraph that his role is "equipping our men with the tools to be able to perform under pressure - giving them the mental skills they need to be strong."

They might not beat the Wallabies, but they certainly have the tools - both physical and mental - to do so.