---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always been confident in my rugby…"
description: "\"I've always been confident in my rugby ability but with England I had to adjust my behaviour.\" — James Haskell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/james-haskell-5960_ability_i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-a_469657.jpg"
---

#  I've always been confident in my rugby ability but with…

![“I've always been confident in my rugby ability but with England I had to adjust my behaviour.” quote by James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/james-haskell-5960_ability_i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-a_469657.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/james-haskell-5960_ability_i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-a_469657.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/james-haskell-5960_ability_i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-a_469657.jpg)

> “I've always been confident in my rugby ability but with England I had to adjust my behaviour.”

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Adapting to a new team requires humility and flexibility despite prior confidence.

**In simple terms:** Confidence must be balanced with adaptability.

Key Takeaway

Stay open to change when joining new groups.

Themes

teamwork humility adaptability confidence growth

Mood

reflective determined

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- joining a national squad
- changing clubs
- learning new tactics
- integrating with teammates

Key Concepts

psychology sports dynamics personal development

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance self‑belief with the need to adapt?
- What signals show you need to change your approach?

A Different Perspective

Overconfidence can hinder integration if not checked.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/england/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Rugby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rugby/)

## Related quotes

> [As long as I get an opportunity, with my ability, I can do well. My England debut was an opportunity for me to show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-loftus-cheek/as-long-as-i-get-an-opportunity-with-my-ability-i-can-do-well-my/)

[Ruben Loftus-Cheek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-loftus-cheek/)

> [I think everybody has to adjust to it. I don't know if anybody fully is prepared for zero-degree football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-watt/i-think-everybody-has-to-adjust-to-it-i-don-t-know-if-anybody-fully/)

[T. J. Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-watt/)

> [Whether it's college or WNBA, its basketball and the more you play the less you need to adjust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-taurasi/whether-it-s-college-or-wnba-its-basketball-and-the-more-you-play-the/)

[Diana Taurasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-taurasi/)

> [Both multiplayer games and online forums have this property of virtual anonymity. Other people can't really see you; they don't really know who you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sweeney/both-multiplayer-games-and-online-forums-have-this-property-of/)

[Tim Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sweeney/)

> [The implications of likability are long-lasting and serious. Women adjust their behavior to be likable and as a result have less power in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/the-implications-of-likability-are-long-lasting-and-serious-women/)

[Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/)

> [Marc Gasol, everybody compares me to him. I try to look up to him and see how he plays and adjust my game like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivica-zubac/marc-gasol-everybody-compares-me-to-him-i-try-to-look-up-to-him-and/)

[Ivica Zubac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivica-zubac/)

> [Italians are great improvisers. If something unforeseen happens, they throw up their hands, and they adjust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-von-sydow/italians-are-great-improvisers-if-something-unforeseen-happens-they/)

[Max von Sydow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-von-sydow/)

> [The Malays are spiritually inclined, tolerant, and easy-going. The non-Malays, and especially the Chinese, are materialistic, aggressive, and have an appetite for work. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/the-malays-are-spiritually-inclined-tolerant-and-easy-going-the-non/)

[Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/)

> [If your plan isn't working, adjust your plan. Never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-martin/if-your-plan-isn-t-working-adjust-your-plan-never-give-up/)

Matt Martin

> [We have to figure out why we see the world in different ways and then how are we going to adjust so that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/we-have-to-figure-out-why-we-see-the-world-in-different-ways-and-then/)

[Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/)

> [I’m from New Jersey / I don’t expect too much / If the world ended today / I would adjust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gorka/i-m-from-new-jersey-i-don-t-expect-too-much-if-the-world-ended-today/)

[John Gorka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gorka/)

> [“Monitor and adjust. That’s the key to effective leadership, indoors or out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bregman/monitor-and-adjust-that-s-the-key-to-effective-leadership-indoors-or/)

[Peter Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bregman/)

> [You adjust what you do depending on the actor. You evolve a vocabulary and a way of language and talking with each actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/you-adjust-what-you-do-depending-on-the-actor-you-evolve-a-vocabulary/)

[George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/)

> [I am not a mind reader. Please adjust your communication skills accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-am-not-a-mind-reader-please-adjust-your-communication-skills/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [We are reaching deep within ourselves to adjust the master knob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/we-are-reaching-deep-within-ourselves-to-adjust-the-master-knob/)

[Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/)

## More by James Haskell

> [Going to Stade Francais will not just make me a better player but make me a better player for England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/going-to-stade-francais-will-not-just-make-me-a-better-player-but/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [It's important as a team that you don't get too excited with a win and you don't get too disappointed with a loss. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/it-s-important-as-a-team-that-you-don-t-get-too-excited-with-a-win/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [A lot of people make the error of thinking rugby is going to last forever and they need to quickly discover that that isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/a-lot-of-people-make-the-error-of-thinking-rugby-is-going-to-last/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [I was always on to the next thing. I didn't celebrate all the little moments in my career that I should have done, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/i-was-always-on-to-the-next-thing-i-didn-t-celebrate-all-the-little/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [I've lost count of the times I've been asked what I do for a living. When I say rugby people say: 'Yes, but what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/i-ve-lost-count-of-the-times-i-ve-been-asked-what-i-do-for-a-living/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [When I left rugby and bought my first commercial gym membership it was a shock to the system. I went in there and saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/when-i-left-rugby-and-bought-my-first-commercial-gym-membership-it/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [There's no doubt that 'the plank' is one of the best core exercises on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/there-s-no-doubt-that-the-plank-is-one-of-the-best-core-exercises-on/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [Someone once told me I looked like Mr Incredible out of 'The Incredibles.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/someone-once-told-me-i-looked-like-mr-incredible-out-of-the/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [You bring your strength to the game - that's what I've learnt, and that's what I try to bring to England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/you-bring-your-strength-to-the-game-that-s-what-i-ve-learnt-and-that/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [When I am doing something I give it 100 per cent. I work on it, do it and go onto the next thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/when-i-am-doing-something-i-give-it-100-per-cent-i-work-on-it-do-it/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [I'm always pretty fair-handed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/i-m-always-pretty-fair-handed/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [My best games for England were under Eddie Jones. Eddie got the best out of me. He understood that I needed an arm around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/my-best-games-for-england-were-under-eddie-jones-eddie-got-the-best/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [People talk a lot about the Welsh fans but English supporters are also among the world's best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/people-talk-a-lot-about-the-welsh-fans-but-english-supporters-are/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [Rugby is a sport in which you can lose heavily one week and still come back and smash the opposition the next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/rugby-is-a-sport-in-which-you-can-lose-heavily-one-week-and-still/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

> [Matches aren't won on the training field and there is no point flogging experienced campaigners unnecessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/matches-aren-t-won-on-the-training-field-and-there-is-no-point/)

[James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

[Explore all 100 James Haskell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/)

## More Ability quotes

> [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/)

[Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/)

> [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/)

[Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/)

> [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/)

[Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/)

[Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/)

> [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/)

[Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/)

> [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/)

[Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/)

> [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/)

[Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/)

> [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/)

[Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/)

> [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/)

[Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/)

> [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/)

[Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/)

[Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I've always been confident in my rugby ability but with England I had to adjust my behaviour.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Haskell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-ability-but-with-england-i-had/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ability"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-ability-but-with-england-i-had/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/james-haskell-5960_ability_i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-a_469657.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/james-haskell-5960_ability_i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-a_469657.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/james-haskell-5960_ability_i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-a_469657.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I've always been confident in my rugby ability but with England I had to adjust my behaviour.” — James Haskell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "James Haskell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I've always been confident in my...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-ability-but-with-england-i-had/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/i-ve-always-been-confident-in-my-rugby-ability-but-with-england-i-had/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
