“Sometimes, we put too much pressure on ourselves" – Steve Hansen

On March 22nd, Toyota Verblitz faced Sagamihara Dynaboars at Gifu’s Nagaragawa Stadium in Round 12 of NTT Japan Rugby League One. The match saw Verblitz conceding the opening score and playing from behind. In the second half, the team fought back with three consecutive tries, closing the gap to just two points. However, they ultimately fell short, losing 22-31. Their record now stands at two wins, one draw, and nine losses, placing them 11th in the standings.

With the warmth of 21°C, the match was played under early summer-like conditions, marking Verblitz's final game at Nagaragawa Stadium this season. The team conceded a try just 47 seconds into the game, setting the tone for a tough chase. They trailed by as much as 19 points but mounted a spirited comeback in the second half. It began in the 46th minute when Viliame Tuidraki scored off a scrum. Then, Joseph Manu added back-to-back tries in the 53rd and 56th minutes, cutting the deficit to just 22-24, seemingly shifting the momentum in Verblitz's favor.

However, they soon found themselves pinned deep in their own territory, unable to exit. Despite resilient defense, they eventually conceded a try in the 64th minute after enduring 19 phases of the Dynaboar’s relentless attack. With the conversion, the deficit widened to 22-31, and the game ended without Verblitz securing any bonus points. “It was a very frustrating game for us. Our defense and execution were good at times, but we also had some soft moments,” said Head Coach Steve Hansen.

The decisive period came in the 10 minutes after Verblitz had cut the lead to two points. While they failed to capitalize, the opposition seized the opportunity to pull away. Their captain, Kota Iwamura, reflected, “We lost our connection in the second half and handed them the momentum, but we refocused on the task at hand and took it back. That’s a sign of our growth.”

Hansen noted, “There’s two types of pressure, one coming from the opposition and one we put to ourselves. The more the results don’t go our way, the more pressure that piles up.” With game captain Michael Hooper unavailable due to post-match treatment, Ryusei Kato spoke at the press conference, stating, “Our attack was good, but we became soft at crucial moments.”

Despite Verblitz outperforming the opposing team in meters gained (600 to 456), they struggled in territorial control, with only 44% compared to their opponent’s 56%. While the team managed to sustain attacking phases, they failed to do so in scoring zones, preventing them from converting opportunities into points. "We have many senior players out with injuries, which impacts team cohesion. The team is hurting, but at the same time, there’s experience we gain. We’ll review the game on Monday and continue to grow,” Hansen emphasized.

He also commented on the refereeing, stating, “We were soft in execution and defense today, but I would like to see more consistency from the referees. It was disappointing to concede two tries following deliberate knock-ons. I understand that commenting on this may put me in trouble, but I love Verblitz, and I love Japanese rugby. At the same time, I respect the referees, but when they have other jobs outside of refreeing, it’s difficult to expect high standards. This is a league-wide issue. I hope JRLO makes efforts to improve referee development.”

A silver lining in the defeat was the impressive performance of two early-entry players, Keito Aoki and Shinya Komura. Komura, who was subbed in during the 14th minute for an HIA replacement, marked his first League One try. Receiving a pass from Tuidraki near the goal line, he sidestepped the defense to score. After coming on at fly-half in the 51st minute to replace Matt McGahan, he continued to bring the attacking line forward. His quick decision-making and ability to break through defenses stood out, but after the match, he took responsibility for the team's loss.

"When we got stuck in the middle of the field, I couldn't find a way to break through. That’s on me. It doesn’t matter whether I’m young or experienced—when I step in as the fly-half, my job is to lead the team to victory,” he said, taking the loss personally. Aoki, who played the full 80 minutes, also reflected, "When we closed the gap to two points, we rushed ourselves. That was the time to stay composed and stick to our strength, which is physicality." Having come from a university rugby environment where winning was the norm, Aoki admitted, "Losing frustrates me, and I struggle to move on from it."

Both Aoki and Komura had missed their university graduation ceremonies the day before to be on the field. The entire team wished they could have given them a victory as a graduation gift.