In that particular game against Samoa, Barrett
scored two tries, created several others and
kicked seven goals from his eight attempts.
But his role for the All Blacks requires more
than being a metronomic points-machine.
As fly-half, Barrett is the man charged with
steering the ship. He’s the playmaker of
the team who must dictate the attacking
momentum and mastermind the All
Blacks’ defence.
Consequently, every match for Barrett
is a blizzard of split-second decisions. Does
he nudge through a teasing chip to probe
the defence? Should he kick high to test the
men at the back? Pass the ball along to his
centre? Spread the play closer to the fringes?
Or should he go himself and try to burst into
that whisper of space in the inside channel?
The responsibility falls on Barrett’s shoulders
to make the call.
Nor are these abstract choices wholly
devoid of risk. Rugby, after all, is an
inherently violent game. Take the second
Test against the Lions where Barrett was
brazenly targeted by loosehead prop Mako
Vunipola who twice hit him with late tackles
bearing 120kg of destructive intent. Such
physical danger is the sworn enemy of
rational thought. As Mike Tyson famously
put it: “Everyone has a plan until they get
punched in the mouth”.
How then do you make good decisions
under pressure?
From the outset, advises Barrett, your
mentality is critical. To give yourself any
chance of success you need to expect the
unexpected. “Never assume things are going
to go to plan,” he says. “You expect it to be
tough and you expect to be challenged so
that there are no surprises out there.”
This mindset is important because it stops
you getting rattled if your plans are suddenly
derailed. PowerPoint presentation conks out
in the boardroom? Forced to ad-lib off-topic
in your job interview? If your idea of how
things will unfold is too rigid you’re only
adding more pressure to the situation and
increasing the likelihood that you’ll freeze.
Staying open-minded also frees you
up to capitalise on opportunities as they
pop up. Former World Cup-winning coach
Graham Henry highlighted this quality when“ I WANT TO WIN EVERY GAME.
I WANT TO BE SATISFIED WITH MY
PERFORMANCE WEEK-IN, WEEK-OUT”