A fierce late attack falls just short, but the team's unity is evident.
Aaron Smith sees Faf de Klerk. Round 2 against Yokohama Canon Eagles involved the two world class scrum-halves in the starting XV. The 6,000 complimentary tickets provided by Yokohama City were immediately sold out - anticipation for this match was soaring even before kickoff.
Soon after kick-off, the Eagles chose a quick tap instead of resorting to their kicking game. Toyota quickly found themselves defending against the Eagles' swift and dynamic attack. The Eagles were determined to make a strong start, fueled by their desire to rebound from their opening match against the Saitama Wild Knights, where they conceded the highest number of points in League One so far with a scoreline of 12-53.
The battle of pride for Eagles took place against Toyota. “We had to show what this clubs is about, especially after we were smashed (in round 1). The leaders came with the strategies for the first 20 minutes”, says Eagles head coach, Keisuke Sawaki.
The long-anticipated duel between the two scrum-halves quickly unfolded. In the 2nd minute, Smith promptly pushed De Klerk, who was holding the ball near the touchline, out of touch, sparking cheers from the stands.

Toyota began the game defensively, but as they continued patiently without any breach, the team's spirit and cohesion started to reemerge. “Taking it right upfront, led to our attack”, says mid-field Yuki Okada. The first points were scored by Toyota. In the 13th minute, fly-half Beauden Barrett takes the lead with a penalty goal. However, Eagles responds with consecutive tries, and Toyota finds themselves trailing 3-14.
The moment that turned the tide into a close contest, was in the 32nd minute when mid-field Siosaia Fifita scored a try. Despite losing balance, he received a pass from Beauden Barrett and carried the opposition through to cross the line. The play originated from a line-out, with wing Yuki Okada forcing the opposition into touch as Beauden Barrett skillfully placed the ball behind them. “We can’t slack off on those moments. Building on such efforts leads to tries.” The segment of play showcased the true values of Okada's play.
The halftime score stands at 10-17. Shortly after the second-half kickoff, Toyota concedes another try, allowing the Eagles to widen the lead to 10-24. Nevertheless, the green jerseys regain momentum, gradually dominating in territory against the Eagles' slowing pace as they gradually advance towards the opposition goal.
In the 6th minute, Siosaia Fifita takes the space from a scrum, creating an opportunity for wing Okada to score a try; the conversion was missed. The score tightens to 15-24. In the 26th minute, shortly after coming on as a substitute, winger Shuhei Yamaguchi makes a massive line break from their own territory but falls short of finishing. The match continues with tense moments of rapid transitions between attack and defense.
In the 31st minute, the Eagles' forward was sin-binned for foul play. In the 33rd minute, Toyota seized the opportunity from a penalty near the opposition goal, with scrum-half Aaron Smith scoring a try. As he held the ball in front of the goal, Smith made a feint pass to run into the space he had created—a display of his experience.
Barrett's successful conversion kick narrows the score to 22-24. Toyota continued with relentless attacks but fell just short. The Eagles defended their line with determination, holding on even as some players struggled with cramps.
Head coach Sawaki praises his player’s effort. “Today wasn’t about any systems. I’m sure the fans felt what they haven’t felt in the previous game.”
“Although it’s a huge work for us to finish those moments, I think we have a bright future ahead”, says Toyota Verblitz head coach Ben Herring who sees the game positively despite the loss. Wing Yamaguchi commented, “We didn’t manage to win, but no one’s looking down”. "The result is disappointing, but the effort to keep the pressure on until the end was amazing. As a captain, I'm happy to see this mindset from our players”, says captain Kazuki Himeno.
While immediate adjustments are crucial, the positivity from the players comes from the increasing cohesion within the team that is increasing over time. How to turn a loss into fuel was demonstrated by the opposition over the full 80 minutes. It's now Toyota's turn to show its character.
① Yuki Okada (wing) continues his try-scoring streak into the second consecutive match since round 1.
② Siosaia Fifita (mid-field) showed his presence in attack and as a finisher.
③ Isaiah Mapusua, in his second year with the team, makes his debut start at number 8.
④ 50th caps for Shogo Miura (prop) and Captain Kazuki Himeno (flanker).
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