Eight Changes to the Starting Lineup. Fly-half Rikiya Matsuda to Lead the Team for the First Time.

Toyota Verblitz has announced their lineup for the upcoming NTT Japan Rugby League One Round 8 match against Shizuoka Blue Revs, which will take place on February 15th at Nagara Rugby Stadium in Gifu.

This match marks the third of five consecutive games, and the team will be on a short six-day turnaround. There are eight changes to the starting lineup from last week, with five forwards and three backs swapped in.

“A lot of them are because of injury. 2 broken arms and MCL and Achilles, so that’s four changes.  Yoshi (Yoshikatsu Hikosaka) was sore at the beginning of the week, so we decided to go with those combinations in the front row,” explained Head Coach, Steve Hansen. 

In the front row, Ryunosuke Momoji, Ryusei Kato, and Shunsuke Asaoka, who have been involved in the second half, will start for the first time this season. Scrum-half Ryang Jongchu will also make his first official appearance wearing the number 9 jersey. Full-back Matt McGahan will start for the first time since transferring to the team.

"Once you get selected, that means you’re ready to play at that level. We just expect them to be the people they are and bring their skills, their attributes, and their character,” Hansen stated.

In the previous game against the Dynaboars, Verblitz struggled in the first half, which led to their loss. However, Hansen has shown confidence in his team saying, “We finished that game very well, so we had a positive mindset of what we are capable of. We’ve addressed the issues in the first half, through the week.” 

The game captain for this match will be fly-half Rikiya Matsuda. As the game driver on the field, Matsuda will take on full responsibility for directing the team, but it might come as a surprise that this is the first time he has been named game captain since high school. 

"I’ve always been fortunate to have had great captains," Matsuda laughed. "I don’t want to get too caught up with this role. I just want to play the way I normally do."

Supporting Matsuda will be full-back Matt McGahan, who is in his 8th season playing in Japan. McGahan understands Japanese communication and has a wide view of the field. "I like to try and communicate with my teammates, especially Rikiya (Matsuda). I want to be another pair of eyes for him," McGahan said, supporting Matsuda from the backline. Matsuda, in turn, praised McGahan. “His calls from outside are very clear and loud, so for me, it makes things much easier. I want to play trusting Gundy's (McGahan) calls."

With a record of 1 win, 1 draw, and 5 losses after seven rounds, the team is still searching for a breakthrough. For Matsuda, who has spent time with powerhouse teams like Teikyo University and the Wild Knights, this situation is a new experience.

"It’s a tough situation right now, but all I can do is continue to do what I can. I want to play calmly and truly value every moment so that in the end, we can put smiles on our faces," he said.

Shizuoka Blue Revs are known for their focus on the scrum, and for this match, the front rowers —who have previously been used as “fresh legs” in the second half—will start. For these three players, this match will be the perfect opportunity to deliver everything they’ve been holding back.