this is by no means the total depth of the team. There is a mix of layers: there are seasoned players and there are seventeen year old players and there are players who are regarded as being the best in the world in their position - and somehow all of this works and makes the team what it is. There is though, more to the make-up of the team than just that. Talking with individual players about their journeys, the tour and the team, it very quickly became obvious what their secret ingredient is. They are committed and professional (as we have said) but so is any national team, irrespective of their position in the world rankings. In all of my conversations with the players,
everyone in the team had different examples about their connectivity, team dynamic and being part of the team. They all said things in different ways - but the underlying magic was the same. This is about a group of athletes who acknowledge and respect each other both on and off the field. But what is the key for me, is that they each know what their own role in the team is and what they contribute to the team - but they also know what every other player contributes. So what happens is that there is such an awareness of each player about the next player and what they bring to the team; that when this is added to the respect they have for each other on
Photo Papaya Photography
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