"In tough times, it’s about staying tight.”- Rikiya Matsuda

On February 16th, Toyota Verblitz faced Shizuoka Blue Revs at Nagara Rugby Stadium in NTT Japan Rugby League One Round 8. After conceding 14 points early on, Verblitz mounted a comeback to narrow the deficit to just three points, but ultimately lost 23-33, suffering their sixth loss of the season. Their record now stands at 1 win, 1 draw, and 6 losses.

The match began with Verblitz conceding two quick tries in the first 8 minutes, falling behind 0-14. The déjà vu of the previous loss to the Dynaboars, where they gave up six tries in the first half, loomed large. However, Verblitz responded strongly.

“At the start, I was unsure if we could get back into it. But once we started building phases, I felt we could do it, and from there, we just kept going,” said scrum-half Ryang Jongchu.

Many of the players who had been used as substitutes in previous matches were now starting, and as the Verblitz kept attacking, they regained their rhythm. In the 20th minute, flanker Akito Okui intercepted a pass in his half, carrying it deep into the opposition’s territory. From there, fly-half Rikiya Matsuda offloaded to center Joseph Manu, who scored the try. This try helped push back the opposition's momentum, and Verblitz went into the break trailing 10-14.

In the second half, with the Verblitz down 13-19 and fighting back, regular starters like Aaron Smith entered the game. However, they struggled against the Blue Rev’s strong scrums, conceding penalties. Two more tries came in the 21st and 31st minutes, putting Verblitz behind 16-33. Despite a late try from wing Siosaia Fifita in the 41st minute, the final score was 23-33, and Verblitz failed to earn a bonus point.

“For the majority of the game, I think we played well, but the result didn’t go our way," said Head Coach Steve Hansen. “I believe we showed the rugby we want to play for most of the game, but we were slightly outplayed at the start and in the critical moments,” said game captain Rikiya Matsuda.

From the middle of the second half, Verblitz struggled due to scrum penalties, which placed them under pressure in key areas. Afterward, the Blue Rev’s veteran hooker, Takeshi Hino, reflected on the match and said, “When you play against a strong team like the Verblitz, things don’t always go well. But our strength, when things aren’t going our way, is our scrum. By continuously applying pressure in the scrum, we were able to get back into the game.”

The Blue Rev’s head coach Yuichiro Fujii noted, “Today, our team took a step up,” signaling that although the match was closely contested, they managed to secure the victory. Verblitz continues to face difficult circumstances since the season opener.

Despite the loss, rookie flanker Akito Okui, who led the team throughout the match, had a standout performance. He not only created the initial try but also demonstrated an excellent work rate throughout the game. However, Okui was quickly taught a valuable lesson when he had the ball stolen by South African international Kwagga Smith.

“I feel like I’m still far from where I want to be. I’ll keep pushing to grow,” Okui said, reflecting on the tough lesson. This frustration will ultimately serve as fuel for his growth.

Hansen acknowledged the team’s effort but highlighted areas for improvement: “It’s not the players' attitudes and efforts. We need to improve our tackles. We’re not dominating first tackles, and we're giving away turnovers after we play well. There are small details we need to work on.”

One positive takeaway was the performance of the forwards, especially the front-rowers and scrum-half Ryang, who were handed starting roles and stepped up. The next match against Kobe Steelers will mark the halfway point of the 18-round season, and Hansen believes the team's depth will soon begin to show.

"In tough times, it’s easy for us to be in our shells. So, it's about staying tight," said Matsuda

"Our turn will come. We’ll keep pushing, doing the same things, starting Monday," said Hansen.

The key now is finding the place where Verblitz can come back to when facing adversity. 

Identifying that strength and sharing that vision as a team will be the guiding light out of the tunnel.