A Super 12 team's two-match trip to South Africa can often make or break their season. But it's more than those two weeks - the week of a team's return should be included as part of the trip because the travel is disruptive to routine and time difference affects performance.
This year's Super 12 has produced two contrasting and illustrative examples. The Highlanders went to South Africa and won both their matches. They also won their returning match against the Reds in Brisbane, which was no mean feat. This has given the team tremendous belief. Whereas the Brumbies lost the second of their matches in South Africa, to the lowly Sharks, and then their returning match against the Blues at Eden Park. The wheels have fallen off since, 'breaking' their campaign.
The trip to South Africa is always interesting. You're never sure whether it'll be smooth sailing. It is a land of contrasts. Beautiful landscapes and weather vs some ugly cities; incredible wealth vs abject poverty. On one visit, the team may be met at hotel reception by a man with giant pythons that you can get a photo holding (Durban 1998), or gun-wielding security guards, because the hotel has been robbed (Pretoria 1997).
It is this uncertainty and element of danger, perceived or otherwise, that creates the bunker mentality that teams adopt when in South Africa. Often this is helpful for unity and sense of purpose. The team draws closer as they are away from domestic comforts and are together pretty much 24/7. Rugby can be given more focus but also the spare time provides opportunity for team activities to help create and strengthen bonds within the team.
A real us vs them mentality develops - paranoia about threats such as food poisoning, spies at training and crime seems to be heightened in South Africa, even though these threats may be just as real in Australia or Dunedin.
As New Zealand players and public we have been conditioned to be mistrusting of South Africa through tales of past tours and that is where the paranoia comes from.
So the Blues face two weeks in South Africa, then a home, travel-weary match against the Hurricanes. These three games will make or break their season, but they've got two weeks together in their bunker in South Africa from which to concentrate their efforts and make it happen.
- HERALD ON SUNDAY
A Super 12 team's two-match trip to South Africa can often make or break their season. But it's more than those two weeks - the week of a team's return should be included as part of the trip because the travel is disruptive to routine and time difference affects performance.
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