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Figure caption,England become world champions for third time
BySteve SutcliffeBBC Sport journalist- Published19 minutes ago
Sharks and ladders played their part in England's Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup success.
As they chased success in Australia, they had a ladder in team meetings to help them visualise their route to the trophy - spray painting a rung gold with each victory.
And they spent time comparing themselves to lifeguards and sharks.
It was all part of coach Tom Coyd's masterplan, which boiled down to one thing - taking an aggressive approach.
It worked. On Friday, they beat France 50-38 in the World Cup final in Wollongong, to defend the trophy they won in Manchester four years ago.
Not that Coyd ever used the word 'defend'. He has steered clear of that term since England lifted the trophy in November 2022. For four years, he has wanted his team to have a more attacking mindset in the pursuit of back-to-back world titles.
His team were positive from the off at this tournament, amassing 386 points across the group stage and semi-finals while conceding just 68.
And his approach ultimately ensured that England became the first nation to win the Wheelchair World Cup three times.
"I think your reality is the story that you tell yourself," Coyd said. "And the narrative that we felt might be upon us coming in was that we are here to defend and we are here to retain.
"We found that framing to be defensive, to be a bit passive - and knowing that we've been world number one since November 2022, we wanted to come in with an attacking mindset and with a hunter's mindset.
"If we had not spent the last four years talking about defending the World Cup, we weren't going to spend the last three weeks [at this tournament] talking about it either.
"We wanted to prime the group to be forward thinking, to attack the attack when we didn't have the ball - and when we did have the ball, to be a shark smelling blood in the water."
Across the World Cup finals of 2013, 2017 and 2022, the game's two powerhouse nations had been separated by a total of only 10 points - two in the first match, and four in the following two.
However, on the western coast of Australia - around 70 miles south of where England won the inaugural competition in Sydney back in 2008 - Coyd's group of players served up an exceptional display.
Having initially forged ahead, England then fought back from a 22-10 deficit before powering to victory against Cyril Torres' uncompromising French side.
"I think the way they executed tonight was just outstanding," Coyd added.
"I don't think France have moved backwards. If anything, they looked hungrier than I've ever seen them.
"But the rate of which these 10 lads have moved on just blew my mind. I'm so proud of them."
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Thirty minutes into the final, England were in danger of disappointment. France, having trailed 10-0, had responded with 22 unanswered points to take control.
However, that dominance was fleeting. By the break, tries from Rob Hawkins - recently crowned the world's best player for a third time - and Jack Brown had restored order.
And when captain Lewis King led a short half-time huddle, it delivered a moment of reassurance for the group that quietly helped lay the platform for success.
"Lewis' presence is everything for this team," added Coyd.
"He always finds the right words at the right time. That's before, during and after games.
"Even in those moments during the match today, where we've been calling it a riptide - continuing on a surfing theme, when it feels like the waves are going against you, even though you feel like you don't deserve that.
"The steadiness and the composure that Lewis just lives and breathes so innately - the boys feed off of it. He's without the doubt the talisman for this group."
Joe Coyd - the head coach's younger brother, who scored four of England's nine tries - added: "We don't need a massive rousing 'let's all go together' type of speech.
"We've got such confidence in each other and we've all seen the work we're doing and we challenge each other in such a good, positive way.
"Tom's not even [been] in the changing room in the last messages today and hasn't been all tournament."
Jack Brown, playing at his fifth World Cup and earning his third winner's medal, added: "I don't think the team missed that [not having a rousing speech] because we saw it as a confidence in the team.
"We knew what we had to do and we knew that we had so many leaders in our team."
