Watching the Lions rugby team playing in the Super Rugby final games was fantastic. They played like real stars.

What struck me particularly was that the reality of rugby at that level is that it is a case of brains rather than brawn. The Lions used brains. Very visible was their fast thinking and intelligent moves. It was a pleasure to watch.

For years, I have noticed that, in world- class rugby games, the weights of the two opposing sets of forwards is about the same. It is the one number which is measurable and visible. You will see that, before a game, the TV indicates the one pack weight at, say, 858 kg and the other at, say, 865 kg. You will see that the difference between these two numbers is 7 kg. This means that there is a difference of about 1%. It can be 2% or 3% but, generally, it is not greater than 5%. Why is this so? Well, it seems obvious that the two coaches are choosing the best set of players and are using what amounts to the same set of ‘choosing rules’. These unwritten ‘rules’ are so well defined that the result is that coaches in different countries end up with virtually identical groups of players.

The pack weight is easy to measure. Now imagine that we could add up ‘the total speed and acceleration’ of the centres and wings and that we could add up ‘the total ducking, dodging, hopping and skipping’ of the backs. Also imagine that we can add up ‘the total passing, flicking, flipping’ and whatever else of the players.

I think that all these indices would come out to be equal in two opposing teams to within 5% or less.

So, physically speaking, the two teams are equal. What, then, is left? The answer is brains, which means strategy, tactics and the inherent ability of players to make the correct snap decisions under pressure. And . . . we are talking serious pressure.

In the Lions games, when there were terrific breaks that allowed a running back to scream through the other team, it was always the result of fast effective thinking and movement by a few other players who set up the circumstances.

Against the Highlanders, in the semifal, Elton Jantjies was Man of the Match. He really deserved it. What impressed me was his quick thinking, plus the hopping, skipping and ducking. Yes, there were the bursts of speed, but a burst of speed is no good if a player runs straight into the clasping arms of the opposition. It is the brain power that gets the guy lined up in such a way that the subsequent speed can pay off.

The decision-making is very important. In the case of other teams, let us take the up-and-under kick as an illustration. In an up-and-under, it is the ‘under’ which counts. Any half-baked player can kick a spectacular ‘up’ kick, but it is where it lands that counts.

In many instances, I see what looks like a great up-and-under kick but it just lands in the hands of the opposition. If one then watches the following half dozen seconds of play, frequently the ball ends up where it was kicked from. So, it would have been better for the kicker not to have kicked it but merely to have run 10 m.

The Lions did not do undirected kicks. Great. You cannot score if you do not have possession; so, to me. Rule 1 is: maintain possession. So, do not do spectacular kicks that just pass the ball to the opposition.

To me, the Lions showed a skilful level of play that should be a benchmark for all to follow. It was a scientific execution of the game. Like a military movement, the big guns and the armour moved to optimise the forward flow of the infantry. Do not give the enemy a gap, because they will use it. Certainly in the semi, the Highlanders were an incredibly competent adversary for the Lions. When the Lions did allow momentary gaps, the Highlanders used them to full advantage.

The same scientific argument for tactical play is true for other sports, such as soccer and cricket. One should always be able to assume that, physically speaking, world-class teams are virtually identical. It is the brain power that is the winning element.

So, if your children have dreams of playing rugby, soccer, cricket or any other game at national level, tell them to study maths and science at school.