England’s Closing-Game Woes Baffle Experts
England’s rugby union side has developed a concerning pattern of late-game collapses, leaving fans and pundits perplexed as to how the team can seemingly snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. In their last five losses this year, the margin of defeat has averaged a mere three points, highlighting the team’s struggles to see games through to the final whistle.
According to leading sports psychologist Don MacPherson, the root of the issue lies firmly in the players’ mindsets. “What is going wrong, in its simplest terms, is a loss of concentration at a vital time,” he explained. “The last quarter of a match is where most of the pressure is. Distractions – scoreboard pressure and the ‘what ifs’ – start the monkey in your mind chattering away and drag you away from the here and now.”
MacPherson, who has worked with elite athletes across various sports, including Damon Hill, Pat Cash, and Bath Rugby, believes England’s players are simply not coping well with the mounting pressure. “If, as is the case with this England side, they have been in the situation of losing these games before, then there’s some post-traumatic stress disorder going on as well,” he added.
“What is going wrong, in its simplest terms, is a loss of concentration at a vital time.” – Don MacPherson, Sports Psychologist
The litany of close defeats is indeed long and growing, from last weekend’s heartbreaking loss to Max Jorgensen at Twickenham to the agonizing one-point defeat to the All Blacks the week prior. England also let leads slip against New Zealand and France earlier this year, suggesting a worrying trend.
With England set to face the physical challenge of South Africa this weekend, sports psychologist David Priestley will undoubtedly be a busy man, working alongside coach Steve Borthwick to help the players overcome their late-game woes. MacPherson has prescribed a five-point plan to address the issue, including mental rehearsal, private one-on-one sessions, and techniques to maintain focus and control breathing in the closing stages.
Ultimately, England’s ability to finally close out a tight game could be the difference between victory and defeat against the Springboks, as they look to snap their four-match losing streak, the longest under Borthwick’s tenure.
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