"You're back at your club, expected to be one of the best performers and don't want to admit you're tired, but sometimes you need someone to intervene and tell you to take a breather. There's endless data these days but, for all that, mental fatigue can be hard to quantify and there can be no doubt that is something the Ireland squad is wrestling with at the moment."
"It's very individual: you look at someone such as Ben Earl, who went through a dip with Saracens earlier in the season but is now firing on all cylinders, and then there is Itoje, who is dealing with a lot at the moment but it is not often that we see him taken off, as was the case at Murrayfield."
Tommy Freeman struggled mentally after the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia last summer, echoing a similar sentiment from Maro Itoje. Past tours, such as the 2009 South Africa trip, left many players physically damaged and highlighted how mental fatigue can persist even when bodies appear sound. Returning players face club expectations and may hide tiredness, sometimes requiring intervention and rest. Both Ireland and England squads are confronting mental fatigue. Responses are individual: some players regain form while others carry burdens. Steve Borthwick adjusted selection to reinforce team strengths, returning Ollie Lawrence and selecting a dynamic back row with Maro Itoje reaching his 100th cap.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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