As much as possible, each performance we approach should be given the amount of respect it deserves; an equal amount. One of the things I really admired about Richie McCaw of the All Blacks was that no matter what the calibre of the opposition was, he always gave his all, which is exactly as it should be. 

The other team may be weak, or they may be the best in the world, but how you hype yourself up shouldn’t be dictated by the other team. What really matters is how you approach your own performance, and the standards you set for yourself. This is the only way to time and again put in strong performances after strong performances. 

This post was inspired by Bundee Aki of Ireland talking about tonight’s All Blacks’ match, but I found a lot of similarities in my own thinking.