Ciara Griffin: Communication with the ref is a key role for a captain on the pitch

A strong leader can unite a team with strategic insights, galvanise with passionate encouragement, and build resilience by exhibiting a cool head under pressure

NO TALKING BACK: Ireland captain Johnny Sexton needs to be on his best behaviour communicating with match officials, says our columnist. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

The men’s Rugby World Cup represents the pinnacle of any player’s career. The hard work is done - the endless running, the hours in the gym, the high stakes pitch sessions and team analysis. Now it’s a waiting game. The focus now of every player fighting for a jersey will be staying fit, healthy and on form. But if you throw the extra pressure of leadership and captaincy into the mix, how does that change a player’s preparation?

One comment that used really get on my nerves as a player was “sure as captain you’re guaranteed a jersey.” Complete nonsense. No one is guaranteed a jersey whether they are in a position of leadership or not. If anything I felt you had to prove yourself more in terms of standards, knowing your role and executing your basic skills. You felt a responsibility to lead by example and set the highest standards. This was a double-edged sword; yes, you are working hard to drive standards but in the end what you did was often not good enough. You always found an area that needed to be improved and sometimes you would be your own worst critic looking for mistakes in your own performance.