Building a team

Apart from the Scotland result, there was little to cheer about for the home nations in rugby yesterday. I do think however, that England’s defeat was a little inevitable. This is not a Disney movie, you don’t bring in a coach and overnight you win the big game. You need to build up a team properly, and coaches and sports psychologist will tell you the best way to build a winning team, is to see how they cope with losing. What makes a team of elite sports men and women suddenly not start communicating with each other and performing below their best? What’s missing? What needs to be added, and just as importantly, what needs to be taken away...

We’re three years away from the World Cup and between now and then – as in Sir Clive Woodward’s era – it won’t all go according to plan and there will be some more defeats, but slowly a team will be built and begin to consistently achieve at the highest levels. Only this time, let’s hope for the sake of the team and the fans, England Rugby don’t see that as the end goal but rather as part of an ongoing process (albeit a rather spectacular part) and that there is a constant feed of exciting new players into the squad, and coaches and managers are supported and encouraged to be innovative, creative and constantly adapt to best-practice.

Oh and in the meantime can someone tell Cipriani that he’s a very good player, but people keep charging down his kicks and would he mind being just a teensy bit more careful? Thank you.

I’ve fox-proofed the chicken run and I slept much better last night. I don’t think you can ever truly fox-proof something, well, unless you keep the chickens in a concrete bunker but I’ve made things a lot more secure: weighting down the roof, fixing the run to the house more securely etc. I also cleaned them out and put loads of new fresh straw in yesterday. Just as well because it snowed last night. It’s a bit piddly but we’re driving up to Cambridge later and the snow is always more heavy there. Yay!

Right now I should be in the shower or packing my bag but I’m on the sofa, blogging and sandwiched between the pups. My partner is working in the kitchen. She worked from home all day yesterday and got up at 6.30am this morning all so she can meet a forthcoming deadline...

Makes me quite glad to be unemployed! (Just kidding!)