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The emergence of softly-spoken Peter Lakai within the All Blacks environment
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Quiet characters are easy to find in the All Blacks environment, far more so than outspoken ones. But even by New Zealand standards, Peter Lakai stands out as especially laid-back and undisturbed.
The 23-year-old is in his third season with the national team, having generated All Blacks buzz with his New Zealand Age Grade Player of the Year Award in 2022 after debuting and starring for the Wellington Lions as a teenager. Lakai has since established himself as a non-negotiable selection in the All Blacks’ matchday 23, thanks in large part to his remarkable consistency for such a young athlete.
While the softly spoken nature with which he entered the professional arena remains, Lakai’s presence within the group is no longer reserved. He is making his voice heard and making a strong impression on the leaders within the environment.
Mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka started his influential run with the All Blacks in 200o, and recently returned after a brief spell away from the team during Scott Robertson’s short-lived reign, in which Lakai made his debut. After stints consulting across various corners of the high-performance world, including the biggest teams in football, cricket and rugby league, Enoka returned to find a new prodigy in the All Blacks.
“Peter really understands the value of the mental side of performance,” Enoka told RugbyPass ahead of the third Test of the Greatest Rivalry tour.
“He’s invested heavily in developing that part of his game and has been very deliberate about putting those skills into practice. You can see the impact in the way he’s playing — there’s a growing composure, clarity and confidence in his game. It’s been great to watch his growth this year.”
A new All Blacks coaching group, led by head honcho Dave Rennie, has implemented new structures within the team to empower players’ voices, with Lakai’s nous in the mental-skills space quickly identified and placed in the corresponding group, led by Enoka.
“I’m in what we call the mental intelligence group,” Lakai explained when sitting down with RugbyPass this week.
“Gilbert Enoka leads the group, and we meet up once a week. We’ll look at a focus area for the game and how we handle high-pressure situations, and we’ll come up with a few skills and a few strategies to utilise whatever the mindset is for the week, and we’ll go from there.
“I’ve been in that group and I sort of lead that area for us loosies.”
Lakai’s elevation to a leadership role, despite being the second-youngest member of the touring All Blacks squad, speaks to the coaching group’s impression of his contributions. For the young man himself, it’s a product of his interest in sports psychology.
“It is (fascinating). Getting to know what your triggers are when you’re under a lot of pressure or what your tendencies are is crucial. You know how you can bring yourself back to being grounded, and being present is gold in this job. There are a lot of high-pressure moments, and being able to stay present and do your next job is a pretty unique skill set to have in professional rugby.”
Lakai says “you’ve got to use your voice” in the All Blacks environment, and that “it doesn’t matter how many caps you’ve got; if you’ve got an opinion, then it’s a safe space to share that.”
But it isn’t only the mental side of the game that Lakai has made strides in. He’s taken feedback from the new coaches on board, developed his game, and is now reaping the rewards, earning selection in the No.6 jersey for this weekend’s crunch match at FNB Stadium.
“On the defensive side of the ball, I’ve been working on my jackaling and my turnovers, and I’m starting to get a bit of payoff from that. Getting the green light on defence to get my head over rucks and try and influence the game has been pretty key for me this year.
“We do a few hunt clubs; we get a few loosies together, the likes of Ardie (Savea), Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, who are pretty good over the ball; Anton Segner too. We challenge each other; we give each other a few tips and pointers. We want what’s best for the team, and we give each other healthy competition.”
That emphasis on the breakdown extends further in Saturday’s game, with New Zealand needing a much-improved performance in that area after their shortcomings were exposed by South Africa last weekend in Cape Town.
“They got a few turnovers on the weekend,” Lakai conceded. “On attack, we were creating opportunities, building phases, just had a few slip-ups where (Malcolm) Marx got a few turnovers. So it’s about being accurate in our breakdown, and hopefully we can create a few more opportunities from that.”
The youngster will be lining up against one of South Africa’s most experienced and successful loose forward trios in history: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi and Jasper Wiese. Lakai says they’re a “class” unit, noting Kolisi’s influence and labelling Du Toit “one of the best players in the world”.
While the All Blacks haven’t addressed this weekend’s Test as a final, Lakai says “in the back of our heads we know that’s the reality” due to the nature of the four-Test series, which is currently drawn at one win apiece.
However, the pressure doesn’t appear to be getting to Lakai. Primed by his mental skills work throughout the week, he has his headspace exactly where it needs to be.
“I’m probably more excited than nervous. It will be my second start this year, so I’m pretty excited for the opportunity to get stuck in. It’s going to be a packed-out, 90,000-seat stadium in JoBurg at altitude. So it’s going to be a good challenge for not only myself, but the group as well.”
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