“We need to match their level of physicality.” – Co-coach Ian Foster

Toyota Verblitz has announced their lineup for the NTT Japan Rugby League One Round 7 match against Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars, which will be held on February 9th. Scrum-half Aaron Smith returns to the starting lineup, while William Tupou will start at number 8. Co-coach Ian Foster, lock Josh Dickson, and wing Taichi Takahashi attended the pre-match press conference.

Takahashi is currently second in the try-scoring leaderboard with 6 tries, trailing last season's top scorer, Malo Tuitama (Shizuoka Blue Revs), by 3 tries. "I'm trying to catch up and I’ve got my eyes on it,” Takahashi said, clearly mentioning his goal of winning the try-scoring title. His try-scoring instincts in key moments remain sharp, but he pointed out how the team is different this season.

"During training, Ian (Foster) clearly gives us guidance such as, ‘In this situation, we should attack here.’ There’s a trust that if we execute his plans, it will work," he said.

Having joined the team in 2019, Takahashi has been a consistent try-scorer since his first year. However, he feels that League One’s defense has noticeably improved since then. "Even when I think I’ve found a way through, the cover defense quickly closes the gap, and the work rate of the whole team has gone up, making it harder to find space," he explained.

In these tougher situations, Takahashi says that his strategy is to "run into the space and demand the ball from players inside, so I can score and help the team win." This season, the team has been scoring more tries through phases, and Takahashi is grateful for the work done by the forwards. “The forwards have been really strong in the middle, making it possible for us backs to score. I’m thankful for them." His appreciation for the eight men in the frontline is a sign of his maturity.

The forwards have also improved since last season, with better line-out success and opposition ball steals. Lock Josh Dickson mentioned Richie Gray’s addition as a key factor in this improvement. The Scottish international with 79 caps has started four games so far, while Dickson has started in two and appeared in the other two as a substitute in the second half. This rotation has been a stable foundation for their aerial game.

Analyzing the opposition ahead of games is also an important job for a lock. "I’ve been playing for 10 years now, so it’s been quite a while. I enjoy analyzing line-outs—it’s like a game within a game," Dickson said. While the front row has their scrum-focused challenges, the locks are tasked with solving the intricate puzzle of line-outs, and it’s Dickson’s mission to do so.

At the end of Round 6, the team had 1 win, 1 draw, and 4 losses, sitting in 8th place. While the results have not been as expected, Co-coach Ian Foster emphasized the importance of "belief" moving forward. "There’s so much good stuff in our game, but we still haven’t been able to sustain it for 80 minutes—and we have to own that,” he said.

When asked about the impression of their next opposition, the Dynaboars, Foster simply said, “They’re tough."

"They play a combative, physical game, and we need to match or even exceed that level of physicality," he added. Under the leadership of New Zealand-born Head Coach Glen Delaney, the Dynaboars have been improving steadily. Foster and Delaney share a long history. "We spent time in the UK before returning to New Zealand. I have massive respect for him as both a person and a coach. It makes the game even more special," said Foster.

In this game, former Verblitz players such as scrum-half Kota Iwamura, flanker Kyo Yoshida, and center Charlie Lawrence will start for the Dynaboars, making this an even more special encounter for the players as well.