In his latest article keeping the game of rugby in the spotlight, Ralph Henderson explores the psychology of sport.

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"WALKING to his corner of the dressing room, he reached his peg and unzipped his kit bag. There on top lay the Valhalla for every New Zealander, the coveted All Blacks jersey. It was and remains a prize so special that it stands alongside the most hallowed, legendary sporting objects the world has known. Like the Masters Green Jacket at Augusta National.

Except that this was black. Always had been, always will be. If symbolism becomes reality in the sporting arena, then this simple rugby jersey, idolised by New Zealanders around the world, takes on a different aura.

Universally revered, the All Blacks are arguably the most dominant team in sporting history. At once, the famed jersey inspires a deep respect. Fear, too, in some cases." [.B]Peter Bills, "The Jersey".[.B]

OVER the past couple of weeks, we have been privileged to watch some marvelous rugby played by men in black. First of all we have witnessed the Bledidsloe Cup games from New Zealand and then the incredible performances by Exeter as they achieved the "double" of winning the Premiership and European Cup, a feat only previously achieved by Leicester and Saracens!

As I sat down to write this article, I received a call from our Captain at Cardiff and five times Welsh Reserve, Ian Lewis. The call was to inform us of the passing away of our great friends and Wales and Lions legend, J.J. Williams.

John had been a schoolmate of Lew Hughes and Keith Richards (whom he called "Don Clarke" because of his square toe-capped boots). Keith had played scrum-half in school with J.J. at Fly-Half where he gained his first cap ! J.J. no doubt inspired Lew to make his Thurrock appearance on the wing! Some of Thurrock's outstanding servants like Clive Beynon and former Saracens captain, Don Harrigan had also been team-mates at Cardiff Training College.

Of course J.J. Williams will always be remembered as one of the game's fastest wingers, representing Wales in the Commonwealth Games. A fantastic Sevens player, he won the Bill Everson trophy as "Man of the Welsh Sevens" and was one of the outstanding Lions team which achieved invincibility in South Africa in 1974.

His pace was unchallenged on the High Veldt and he scored five tries in the series, second only to Tony O'Reilly in Lions' history.

John was only one of a handful of Welsh players to be on a team to beat the All Blacks on more than one occasion! He was a member of the victorious Llanelli team which scored a remarkable victory over New Zealand at Stradey Park in 1973 as well as a Test victory on the 1977 Lions' Tour.

J.J. Williams will be remembered in Thurrock having spent a day at William Edwards School inspiring a generation of students in 2011. On that occasion, he worked with his son, Rhys Williams, an Olympian and former European 400 metres champion.

During his presentation at William Edwards, John emphasised that hard work and dedication were the basis of his success.

After his retirement he became a television pundit where his forthright analyses were greatly admired. Throughout his career he had been dedicated to a variety of charities and gained a much deserved MBE.

He will be remembered as one of the greatest Wales and Lions' wingers, a member of that iconic Welsh team that swept all before them in the seventies and one of only two players to be universally recognised by their initials! The tributes paid on the National News and the fact that players will wear black armbands for this week's matches are a fitting accolade to his status in World rugby.

Both Exeter and the All Blacks have connections with Thurrock which are important to recall, but I was drawn to this topic while watching the insouciance of Australian captain, Michael Hooper, as the All Blacks performed the Haka in the recent Wellington Test.

There was no way in which he was going to allow the All Blacks even a marginal advantage from their frenetic performance. Another who irritated the opposition was David Campese who often ignored the Haka and stood in the background as the ritual unfolded. often juggling a rugby ball.

The Haka was introduced as a pre-match dance by the New Zealand Natives team that toured Britain in 1888-1889. This was followed by the first New Zealand national team to tour Britain as "The Originals " in 1905-1906.This was the first team to be called the All Blacks. The first game on British soil was against Devon at Exeter, the very place where another "first" occurred in 1981 when Thurrock became the first club team to hire a whole train to take its team and supporters to the John Player Cup game against Exeter!

The first All Blacks performed the Ka mate Haka which was more of a performance than a challenge to battle. This Haka, also known as Te Rauparaha's Haka, has been used ever since. It was largely reserved for overseas tours and seldom seen in New Zealand.

The advent of the first World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 1987 proved to be the watershed moment when All Black captain, Wayne "Buck" Shelford decided that New Zealand should introduce a far more intimidating version which would give the All Blacks a massive emotional advantage at kick-off.

Shelford consulted fellow Maori, Hika Reid, and a new genre was born. The All Blacks with John Kirwan and Joe Stanley (the uncle of Ben, Mike and Sam) to the fore. The All Blacks completely eviscerated the opposition and were supreme champions in 1987. My lasting memory is of Joe Stanley waltzing through against Wales in the semi-final, demonstrating the same running style as nephew Mike, but more like Ben's physique!

The Ka mate was believed to be written by the Maori chief, Te Rauparaha after escaping an enemy in1821. Te Rauparaha hid in a Kumara pit while his wife sat over the entrance. Te Rauparaha muttered: "It is death!" when a pursuing chief approached, but when he remained undetected, The Rauparaha, exclaimed: "It is life!"

After a scintillating All Black career, Hika Reid came over to coach in Europe, bringing with him that winning mentality. After coaching at London Irish, he moved to Thurrock where he became a player/coach. His career to date had been as a hooker and included performances when he destroyed a star-studded Welsh team led by Phil Bennett and "put Australian rugby back ten years" after a scintillating length of the field try.

Now at Thurrock he became the shortest No.8 in history with his distinctive headband. But, like the Haka, he took no prisoners and his energetic aggressive style of play became contagious. Hika used people like Paul McCarthy and Mark Chambers to mentor and he made them into outstanding generals in their terms of captaincy.

He had the ability to make players around him better than they were, what I would call psychological impact. When Hika was an All Black, he played amongst some of the greatest players ever to play the game such as Michael Jones and John Kirwan, but when he came to Thurrock his everyman humility meant that players were not overawed, but there was no mistaking how he inspired them.

Similarly, one of the greats of Brazilian football, Tostào wrote that he believed Pele was better than Messi because he could do everything Messi does but with extra strength and drive. He said: "Messi is a genius. Pele was a forceful genius."

Hika Reid, had vision and identified versatility. It was Hika who converted Jim Evans to lock. The former William Edwards centre and Fly-Half went on to have a stellar career in the Premiership with Harlequins and the England Saxons.

Even current coach, Dave Stevens was converted to prop from No.8. During his time Thurrock played Harlequins at The Stoop and he even came back to help the current team in 2018. Hika continues to have a life-long association with Thurrock and is always the perfect host regaling stories of his ancestors at the Rugby Museum in Rotorua where he is an Ambassador and Guide.

His place in history is secure as he has been selected in the greatest Maori All Black Team of all time! He was another who inspired students at William Edwards when Guest of Honour at Presentation Evening, although I wasn't too sure of the advice to "Eat lots to have the strength to deter bullies!

"I suppose he was just a "Forceful genius."

Inevitably as the Haka continued to give the All Blacks an edge, each new captain played a part in its evolution. A new version, Kapa O Pango was introduced by Tana Umaga before the South African Test in 2005 and variations of both have been used ever since.

I first came across the Stanley dynasty when watching the first World Cup when "Smoking Joe" was in his prime. A few years later they were at William Edwards with their sister, Olivia.

However, I soon noticed that after first team games they were playing "Touch Rugby" or kicking the ball around on the main pitch. Luckily, I got to know them all a lot better while at school. I realised that they came from a society where family values are at the centre of their universe.

Moreover, I recognised their running style; they had the same rhythm and cadence as their legendary uncle. With dad and the whole family outstanding players, it was evident that genetics played a major part in their physical attributes. The evidence of their success lay in understated cultural, social and physical precedents. They all attended Academies of Senior Clubs: Ben at Bedford, Mike and Sam at Saracens. They were all absorbed in the mini section of the club.

Their history is one of hugely dedicated parents, incessant practice, excellent coaches and mentors as well as easily accessible amenities.

There were role models in abundance and support mechanisms committed to their future. In their youth they were determined to glean every ounce of inspiration from those mechanisms as well as building unique skills into their "muscle memory".

They attended New Zealand coaching camps, Mike and Sam studied at the highest level in England camps and were even coached by Wales and Lions ' John Bevan!

Success in rugby is, nevertheless, about the team; the sum of the parts, physical conditioning, inter-dependence, indomitable determination and an irresistible passion for victory! It is about camaraderie, belief and loyalty. It is about mental toughness, confidence, how players combine and interact, how game-specific tactics are deployed and, above all else, on a whole raft of intangible psychological factors. There are so many factors that determine prosperity in sport that often the final outcome is determined by small margins. Daley Thompson, often regarded as Britain's greatest athlete, always trained on Christmas Day just to get a small advantage over his great German rival, Jürgen Hingsen. (He always used this as motivation to gain a psychological edge).

In the European Championship semi-final of 1996 a cross from Alan Shearer was inches away from Paul Gascoigne's desperate lunge. If he had made contact England would have beaten Germany and the last 25 years would have been entirely different.

In the Seoul Olympics of 1988, Adrian Moorhouse won gold in the 100 metres breaststroke, but the margin between first and last place was 0.1 of a second and that infinitesimal difference left Moorhouse with a life of fame and an MBE whilst the eighth-placed East German was destined to anonymity!

I have spent a lifetime of enjoyment in sport whether as a participant, teacher or spectator, but the domain that intrigued me the most was the mind! Before most games, I was incredibly nervous, but driven by fear of failure. Yet I always tried ways to turn this to advantage.

Studying the functions of the human brain is a relatively new science, sadly emanating from opportunities arising from car crashes, tragedies and warfare!

It is generally accepted that the human brain is divided into three major parts, each serving a different function:

The Reptilian Brain deals with the fight, flight, freeze response. For example if a Jonah Lomu type winger is on the charge towards you the Reptilian Brain determines your reaction as Tony Underwood found in 1995.

The Limbic System deals with emotions such as fear, worry or love. Best leave this part of the brain outside the stadium gates. You don't really want to be thinking about your new partner if you are about to execute an elaborate set piece move in a World Cup Semi-Final!

The Neo-Cortex is the "thinking" part of the brain. It is divided into two hemispheres-left and right. The Left hemisphere deals with number, pragmatism, organisation and order. The Right hemisphere is the creative, artistic side.

In the past, players would often begin a match in a frenzy with the Reptilian Brain in overdrive. This would often lead to a frantic start to a game, much machismo and occasionally a sending off. The warm-up often involved much physical "beating of chests" by team-mates and more than one player sustaining damaging injuries before kick-off! Terry Lax dislocated his shoulder just prior to the 1973 Eastern Counties Cup Final, with no replacements in those days. Ideally you want to enter the arena in peak physical condition, not debilitated by a team-mate during warm up!

Although it has been said that sport is emotional, it is better to enjoy emotions after the game, especially positive ones. Very few people perform well under the strain of worry over a personal matter. Hence the cricketers, like Marcus Trescothick who have returned from overseas tours owing to domestic issues or some great British Lions like Phil Bennett or John Bevan who were desperately homesick.

The inescapable conclusion is that for the majority of players it is vital to engage the Neo- Cortex and be able to "cross lateralise" in order to maximise the functions of both hemispheres.

Although, we were probably unaware at the time, half-backs like John Mahoney and Steve Bowen did just that as their team-mates were bouncing off walls and acting like Norsemen, after copious amounts of Mead going "bare-serk"!

What is interesting is to consider the impact of the Haka on the players performing it and their opponents. There is little doubt that until recent times the All Blacks were clearly in the Reptilian Brain before transitioning into an emotional frenzy. Perhaps this is why they invariably had a strong start, but were vulnerable to penalties and even serious sanctions. The opposition would often accept the challenge as intended and the tension would reach fever-pitch.

The England versus New Zealand game hit new levels of hostility in1997 when the England hooker, Richard Cockerill came face to face with Norm Hewitt during the Haka.

The Welsh response at the Millennium Stadium in 2008 was labelled as "the best ever" when Wales, under the captaincy of Ryan Jones, fronted up to the All Blacks and refused to move until the New Zealanders had turned away. In fact the whole pre match tactics were aimed at irritating the All Blacks so that they were unable to escape the constraints of the Reptilian brain. The plan had been hatched by Wales Head Coach, Warren Gatland, an All Black himself, with a wide knowledge of his countrymen's psyche. As the All Blacks were warming up, the Welsh Choir "trespassed" into the opposition territory and, at one stage, interfered with Dan Carter's kicking routine! The normally ice-cool fly-half was so incensed that he aimed a kick straight at the conductor! Luckily our Musical Director narrowly avoided decapitation as the ball flew into the crowd. Even Daniel Carter was stressed. When the challenge to the Haka was accompanied by "Bread of Heaven" the stadium resembled the Colosseum during the Roman Games, described by Daniel Mannix in "Those Who Are About To Die". The plot was hatched and the All Blacks had fallen into the trap. They had a poor start and ,with the crowd "baying for blood", Wales raced into a healthy lead which they held until half-time.

As the half-time whistle sounded there was genuine anticipation of a first Welsh win since 1953 and being one of the few to have seen that game, I couldn't wait to see what skullduggery our Shaun Edwards had planned for the second half ? Surely the New Zealanders would come out first and incur the wrath of the home crowd; perhaps the Regimental goat would be let loose and cause havoc or, at least, they could be treated to a rendition of "Hymns and Arias" But no, we had exhausted our compendium of creative trickery and subterfuge.

Dan Carter kicked off, Ryan Jones knocked on and the All Blacks scored. They had regained their composure, got into the right mindset and put Wales to the sword! Further punishment came the following season when the All Blacks issued their traditional challenge in the changing rooms!

Nowadays, it is difficult to estimate how much of an advantage is derived as there is considerable distance between the teams owing to camera emplacements. Furthermore some players wear their tracksuits and carry out drills before kick off in order to refocus after the Haka has been enacted.

In the Semi-Final of the 2019 World Cup in Japan, England faced the challenge in the shape of a V and proceeded to hand out one of the most decisive beatings in All Black history.

"First in beauty, first in might!" said the poet John Keats. It is indisputable that New Zealand's splendid kit brings pride and passion.

The enduring myth about the origin of the name All Blacks is that a reporter inserted an extra "l" to what should have been All Backs because of their playing style. One of the Originals, Billy Wallace insisted that this was the way that the team acquired its name. Wallace's theory first appeared in the "Daily Mail" the day after the 11th game against Hartlepool Clubs (Take note Matt Siddle and John Mullen). However, research shows that in the 19th century it was common for teams to be known by their jersey colours and the first Blacks were the Wellington team which, in those days, played all in black!

The Originals played their first touring game at Exeter, beating Devon 55-4 and the following day "The Express and Echo" reported "The All Blacks, as they are styled by reason of their sable and unrelieved costume were under the guidance of their captain, Mr Gallagher, and their fine physiques favourably impressed the spectators."

Certainly Thurrock benefited from the power of All Black kit and it was the Club's favoured away colour during the great cup games of the seventies and eighties. Maybe it was more about the impact on the opponents rather than superstition.

In the Seventies ,a local player and grandfather of Andrew Nimmo, Brian Ballanger, brought a gift of extra long naval shorts to the Club. Along with fellow team-mates, Keith Richards and Graham Morris, I decided to wear these ridiculous shorts on to the field before the vital Essex Cup Semi-Final of 1973 against a mighty Upper Clapton team boasting several internationals. This caused great mirth among the big crowd, but was treated with contempt by our opponents.

What we hadn't realised was that our antics had given us a distinct psychological advantage that even Suggs couldn't have envisaged. As Upper Clapton ran on to the field their flanker ran up to me and suggested that he was going to inflict some physical pain for my carefree attitude, but we were completely relaxed and clear headed. The first time that John Mahoney passed me the ball, I kicked long towards Upper Clapton's posts. The openside aimed a punch which I deflected and, as I fell to the ground, the referee awarded a penalty in front of the posts which Mick Leckenby duly converted.

As we returned for the resumption of play I turned to the disconsolate open side and said," Thank you, Paul, for that early gift, I guess we can now enjoy a fair game?" which just enraged him further. Thurrock went on to a well-deserved victory.

A further example of the veracity of the words of Keats became evident as I reflected on my early career at Abertillery.

As a student of the game I sought every bit of knowledge that would allow me to become better player. I hung on to every word of veterans and experienced players like Robert Harris and Roddy Jones. I asked Welsh triallist, Roddy how I could improve my "top-end" speed. He advised me to buy some spikes and join the local harriers. When Allan Lewis came back from the 1966 Lions' Tour he became the first "spin passer" in the Northern hemisphere, something he had learned from All Black scrum-half, Chris Laidlaw. I asked Allan what I could do to improve, he said: "Go abroad every summer and get brown legs.You will feel good about yourself, stand out and impress the opposition and selectors!" Well, I suppose he had a point; it certainly worked for him as the white head band did for Welsh captain Alun Pask and his protege, Roger Lane.

On the matter of legs, Charlie Putz and Tommy Nicholls our "rub-a-dub" men of the seventies, were great motivators as they worked their magic and told all the backs they looked great and had "sprinters' ankles". You ran out on to the field thinking you were Linford Christie! What people like Charlie and Tommy contributed to the Club was priceless, not measured in money but in soul. Their acts were acts of solidarity, unity and loyalty, bringing belief and confidence.

Their simple words bolstered self-belief and trust. They embodied esprit de corps. They were not professors of psychology and probably had unrealistic expectations of their own efficacy, but miracles only happen for those who believe and, somehow we were made to believe.

Fundamentally, optimism sows the seeds of confidence in achievement.

John James Williams, known as "J.J." to distinguish himself from his namesake, "J.P.R" was one of Rugby's finest finishers. He enjoyed a stellar career for Wales and the Lions, equalling David Duckham's record of six tries in one game on the 1974 tour. He scored 12 tries in 30 appearances for Wales and won Grand Slams in 1976 and 1978 as well as four Triple Crowns.

Whenever John was in your team, you knew you had a great chance of winning. He certainly had massive psychological impact!

Another Welsh legend, Shane Williams tweeted: "So sorry to hear that JJ Williams has passed away! It was a pleasure to have shared your jersey."

Our thoughts are with his wife, Jane and children, James, Kathryn and Rhys, as well as his many friends and team- mates at this sad time. John was a true great of rugby!