On February 22nd, Toyota Verblitz announced their lineup for NTT Japan Rugby League One Round 9, where they will face Kobe Kobelco Steelers at Hanazono Rugby Stadium. After a four-season absence, flanker Michael Hooper will start at number 7, and Akito Okui will start at number 8. Scrum-half Ryang Jongchu, who started in the previous match, will continue as a starting half-back, and rookie Taiga Kawasaki has been named in the reserves, potentially making his debut.
The legendary Australian flanker, known as "Hoops" will once again don the green jersey, marking his return to Verblitz after his time in the 2021 Top League season. Hooper, who has earned 125 caps for the Wallabies, expressed excitement about his return. “I haven't played rugby in a long time. I'm trying to be accurate in my tackles, in my carry, and do my part and do my role in the team,” Hooper said.
Last year, he focused on sevens rugby with the goal of qualifying for the Paris Olympics. After missing out on the Olympic team, he took some time off, worked out at the gym, and traveled with the Wallabies for their tour working for a broadcast, far removed from the competitive game. In late December, he began coaching once a week at his local club, Manly, and soon after, Verblitz offered him the opportunity.
“Unfortunately, the team's had a few backrow injuries, so the opportunity came. That’s when I started not being a coach anymore and started training with Manly. Now I've been doing rugby training for a few weeks.” Hooper explained. After arriving in Japan in early February, Hooper made his return to the field on February 14th, playing 40 minutes in the Mirai Match against Shizuoka Blue Revs.
“My body weight got light from sevens, so I’ve been needing to put some weight back on. I probably became a better passer. In sevens, you got to do a lot of passing, a lot of long passing,” he said. When Hooper played with Verblitz before, it was during the pandemic, a time when the world was heavily impacted.
“We didn't have the field down the bottom. We didn't have this room here four years ago. Everyone can just be themselves and there's no shaking elbows this time. You can shake someone's hand and it's really nice to be back and see what it's meant to be like.”This time, Hooper’s family and two children are also in Japan. As a father, he said he wanted to show his children the snow in Japan.
Hooper’s final match four seasons ago was the 2021 Japan Championship semi-final, where they lost 21-48 to Panasonic Wild Knights. That match was held behind closed doors due to the pandemic, and it was also at Hanazono Rugby Stadium.
“Ironically, four years ago, my last game was at Hanazono against Rikiya (Matsuda), who's now our number 10!” Hooper smiled. As a Wallaby, Hooper was a key figure in rescuing his team from difficult situations numerous times. Now, his time playing in Japan begins once again from Hanazono.
Another player looking forward to the match at Hanazono is prop Ryunosuke Momoji, who attended the press conference. He has had more appearances as a reserve this season but started in the previous match against the Blue Revs. "I focused on ball carrying, scrums, and making sure I was ready to go whenever called upon. A lot of it was about mental strength," said Momoji, who felt positive about his performance.
For the match against Kobe Steelers, Momoji will come off the bench, but he said, "I’m a bit nervous about when I’ll be called on, but I’m staying clear-headed and making sure I can make calm decisions while communicating with the reserves. From the lessons of previous matches, our focus as a team will be 'together.' I’ll aim to stay connected with the team rather than making individual decisions."
Although Momoji is from Osaka, he has not played at Hanazono since his third year at Tokai University Gyosei High School, when his team won the national championship in the 97th National Tournament in 2017 by defeating Osaka Toin High School 27-20. "At that time, the stands on the screen side were under construction before the World Cup, so I’m really looking forward to it," he said. In the Steelers reserves is Sho Maeda, a former high school classmate. In the final of the 97th National Tournament, Momoji played at prop, while Maeda played at hooker. Their match-up is something to watch for.
Head Coach Ian Foster also attended the press conference, where he said, "Massive respect for their coach and for that big, tall, skinny lock. Brodie (Retallick) is an amazing player.” The Steeler’s captain, Brodie Retallick, was a key player during Ian Foster's time as head coach of the All Blacks.
Foster also commented on the match against the Steelers. “They probably haven't had the results that they would like either. So, there are two teams that really would like to play well, but for me, this is a battle of teams that want to play at tempo. It's about who executes that best.”
The Mirai Match will also take place on the second pitch of Hanazono Stadium, starting at 10:15 on the same day, open to the public.
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