I’ve just been watching the rugby and was delighted to see Ireland beat Australia 21-6 in a rainy Lansdowne stadium this afternoon.  There was a time when we would never have expected the Irish team to be in such a position; so what made the difference for the guys out there today?

• A very clear sense of purpose – they were out there to win and they remained determined and calm in the face of the opposition.
• They had their strategy planned and they used brilliant tactics to achieve their objective.
• They played to their individual strengths for collective benefit - there was no place for selfishness or egoism on the pitch today.
• They communicated with one another – they knew where they needed to be and what they needed to do to support their team mate.
• They showed confidence and self-belief, and when a player had to go off and another player come on to replace him the team performance was not affected in any way.

In a post-match interview Brian O’Driscoll told Tracy Piggott “it’s great when you put together a team try, you take a lot from it” – demonstrating the absolute commitment each of the players has to the team and the pleasure they take from contributing to the team’s achievement, regardless of which individual made the actual score.

I’m pretty sure the guys won’t forget the last of our 8 steps to effective team building, and will celebrate their success in Dublin tonight!