Mental toughness is one of the most elusive goals of all elite players. It is one of the greatest accolades a professional player can have – that he is said to be tough under pressure and consistent in performance.

It is for this as much as his exceptional skills that Darren Lockyeris often rated one the best rugby  league players in the world. Yet for all that we recognise the importance of mental toughness, it is rarely something coaches try to encourage in their players. Can this toughness be taught? Should we be training our players mentally as well as physically – and how?

Mental toughness is all about being able to perform the same on the training field as on the pitch in a big match. There are many techniques a player can use to achieve this. For example, your kicker may build up a routine of goal kicking so that it is exactly the same every time – this might consist of a particular way of kicking, saying a few words every time, or visualising the ball going between the posts.

Jonny Wilkinson is well known for his unusual style of kicking – it is this style that helps him to be consistently world class. Players in other positions can do similar things by setting themselves particular performance related goals. These specific aims can help take the focus away from the pressure of a big game and more onto the individual's performance.

Mental training should be thought of as the same as physical training – it is a gradual process that needs to constantly be worked on and maintained to stay in peak condition.

As coaches, we should remember that we have a duty to train our players' minds as well as their bodies. We can do this in a number of simple ways, such as how we structure our training sessions.

Good communication can help build up a player's self-confidence. On the other hand, constant criticism with no constructive element can ruin a player's self belief, which is crucial to their on-field consistency.

This underlines the importance of always explaining to a player, in a constructive way, why they have not been selected for a match. If done well, this can give a player a competitive edge to self-improve and come back better next time. If not, you run the risk of their adopting a defeatist attitude.

Another simple way to improve a team's mental performance is to come up with a standard pre-game routine that “psyches them up”. It is no coincidence that the most successful rugby union team in the world, the All Blacks, are also the team with the most elaborate pre-game mental warm up – the Haka.

Not only is this intimidating for opponents, but it gets the team into the right aggressive state of mind for the game. While your club may not have anything as elaborate as the Haka, some form of preparation can do wonders for a team's confidence and aggression. You can also do this by building competitive elements into training in preparation for a real competition and to get your players used to the pressure.

Mental training is a crucial part of the modern rugby coaching experience, and when combined with physical, skills and tactical training can really get the best from your players.