In 2001, en route to England for the Ashes series, Steve Waugh proclaimed to his men from Gallipoli: 'The Anzac spirit means fighting together and looking after your mates.'
These words took on further resonance in a corner of northern France under heavy skies last week. Having landed at Heathrow only 24 hours earlier, the Australia squad climbed aboard the Eurostar for a trip to the Somme. More specifically, they were drawn to a pocket of the Somme region whose community has sworn they will 'Never Forget Australia'.
The town of Villers-Bretonneux owes its existence to the formidable courage and resilience of the Anzac forces that liberated it. Freedom came at a terrible cost, however, with more than 1,200 Australians killed at this beautiful place. By coincidence, that liberation came on 25 April 1916, a year to the day after their combined forces first saw military action when they landed at Gallipoli.
The trip was poignant in every sense: watching Australia captain Ricky Ponting lay a wreath at the foot of the Australian Memorial upon whose walls are etched the names of 11,000 Australians who have no known grave. Seeing fast bowler Jason Gillespie hunt among the rows of headstones for the resting place of his wife's great-uncle and hearing Adam Gilchrist's voice grow fragile as he read Binyon's haunting words: 'At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.' Observing the faces of these supposedly hard men grow soft in this environment, happy to mingle with the town's children and sign their school books, was moving.
What is most fascinating about a trip of this kind, however, is the motivation behind it and whether it contributes to making the Australia team the force that it is. I believe it does. It is days such as this, and at Gallipoli four years ago, that demonstrate the sheer depth of leadership.
While coach John Buchanan is clearly the driving force now, former captain Steve Waugh left a legacy that Cricket Australia does not want to abandon. It was Waugh who instilled a sense of tradition in his players. He instigated the wearing of the old-style baggy green cap to connect his modern generation of players with their predecessors. For the first Test of the new millennium, against India, Waugh took this theme a step further as his team wore replicas of the skull caps worn by Joe Darling's 1901-02 team. Acts such as this, and the trips to Anzac war graves, commemorate and pay respect. By looking back, no team in sport has moved forward so mightily.
Ponting has clearly taken on the mantle with his players. He said that the Somme trip was not only about team-building. 'We have come here to learn more about Australians who have gone before us,' he said. 'We started a tradition on our last Ashes tour, with the trip to Gallipoli, which we want to maintain. These are life experiences which will make us more knowledgeable.'
This quest for a broader perspective was also highlighted by all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who said that they could always find a time for a net, but that this was a chance to understand how Australians had served their country in a totally different capacity.
This poses the question, would the England team find the same appreciation inherent in such experiences? Nasser Hussain left a hard-nosed strength to the England team when he handed over the captaincy. Michael Vaughan inherited a team of talented players with a strong dynamic who have worked hard to achieve their recent run of success. But what we are concerned with here is how the off-pitch environment and ethos can contribute to a group of players to improve them as people, strengthen their resolve and perhaps even their performance.
The present Australia team are very talented, fit individuals, brimming with confidence and mental strength. But what sets them apart? What makes them seem unbreakable as a unit? Many teams are filled with talented players, but it Australia's ability to look beyond the conventional methods of preparation that gives then that edge.
I have been on the receiving end of enough overpowering Australia performances on the pitch and, believe me, I take no satisfaction in talking them up. However, their approach to leadership is intriguing. Within any group of people who need to perform at the top of their discipline, the leader must develop ruthlessness, a cohesion, a desire to learn, to gain broader understandings or a level of unshakeable discipline. The Australia cricket team appear to have these qualities.
With the most gruelling battle in cricket just around the corner, perhaps the leaders in the England set-up should take a leaf out of Australia's book. While days spent on the golf course or glued to a PlayStation might well form part of the crucial rest and relaxation programme for the players, it does little to ignite the fighting spirit that can make the difference between success and failure at the highest level of sport.
- CLARE CONNOR