BULLISH

The Blue Bulls scrumhalf Embrose Papier is striving for greatness. Here's how he's putting in the right reps to make sure mind and muscle are firing in unison.

- KIERAN LEGG

Stepping into the shoes of the scrum-half is a highpressure role. You're the link between the backs and the forwards, someone who needs to dash to advantageous positions and make snap decisions to redirect the passage of play. It's tough being the middle-man when there are actual stakes involved, and Embrose Papier knows this all too well. While he's fast-lightning quick-it's his ability to stay calm when he's got the world on his shoulders that lets him turn the tides in battle. That's why his training is just one part of the equation. The rest? It happens in his mind.

"When I started playing, there was definitely a lot of pressure," he admits. Papier knew he'd have to find a way to temper his anxieties, and that's why he names "box breathing" as one of the most powerful tools in his versatile armoury.

The practice, which is used by everyone from top business execs to grizzled Navy SEALS, is dead simple. It's a deep breathing technique that helps distract your mind as you count to four, slowing down your inhalations and exhalations to calm your nervous system. "When I wake up in the morning before training, I head outside and start my breathing exercises," he says. "It puts me in a calm space where I'm ready to, you know, tackle anything that comes my way. It's an integral part of his pre-game ritual, a practice he dips into during sauna sessions and cooldowns, and his first instinct when he needs to bolster his reserves in the middle of a nailbiting match. Does it work? The results speak for themselves.

FIELD OF DREAMS

Papier, 27, was born in Clanwilliam, a town nestled in the heart of Western Cape's Swartland area. Shortly afterwards his family relocated to the coastal locale of Lambert's Bay on the West Coast, and it was there that he would discover his calling.