Josh Hoskin Smart Money jhoskin@goldridge.co.nz

The All Blacks have delivered our community, as well as the country, some much deserved happiness during the weekend. Well done boys.

These athletes should be congratulated on reaching their goal. It was not easy, the final especially so, but their application to the task got them there in the end.

What can we learn from their achievements? One lesson I think we could take is that success is earned through hard work, coupled with a never failing eye on your goal.

The lesson of hard work and application is best capitulated by Stephen Donald's 45 minutes of fame. Stephen Donald, in my humble opinion, is not as naturally gifted as a Dan Carter or Aaron Cruden. During his All Black career he has had his detractors, including myself. However, and I am only guessing here, but I believe Stephen, to get to where he has got to, has worked very hard at his game. You might ask what keeps guys like this going – I would guess once more that it is his goals – like making the World Cup Squad or scoring the winning points in a world cup final.

If you have not got clear goals how do you expect to achieve anything? Luck plays a part in people's lives, but hard work, driving towards your goal, makes for better lives.

Even if Stephen Donald had not made it out on that field on Sunday at least he could say through his application he had been an All Black – something most people will not even get close to achieving.