Hajiro Hirai: “We’re getting closer to the scrum we want” 

The second Mirai Match of the season was played on December 26 at the Sports Center against Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi, with a convincing 59–17 victory.

From kickoff, the forwards overwhelmed the opposition with their intent to move forward. In the 8th minute, hooker Schalk Erasmus opened the scoring with the first try, followed by flanker Blair Ryall and then Erasmus again. In total, nine tries were scored, securing a second consecutive win following the match against Mie Honda Heat.

One player showing clear growth through the Mirai Matches is prop Hanjiro Hirai. A rookie who joined from Teikyo University alongside flanker Keito Aoki and fly-half/fullback Shinya Komura, Hirai started at loosehead prop in consecutive matches against the Heat’s and the Shuttles. In addition to his strengths in ball carrying and attacking play, he has also shown improvement in the scrum.

“Scrummaging used to be a challenge for me, but Assistant Coach Ueno has helped me improve things like body alignment, foot position, and hip height, and it’s starting to fit my body.”

Hirai converted to prop before his sophomore season at university. He had previously played as a lock since his days at Gose Jitsugyo High School. “His ball carrying is really strong,” Komura says, and his athletic ability was already well proven. However, “Even when we played together at university, scrums looked tough for him,” recalls Aoki. After being converted to the front row, Hirai went through a long period of trial and error in finding the right technique. Since joining Verblitz, under the guidance of Coach Ueno—himself a former standout hooker—Hirai has begun to find a scrummaging style that suits him.

“Not only that, but I think the daily sessions we do every morning in the Front Row Club are really starting to come together.

We set things up and check details several times a week, and we’re getting closer to the scrum we want. Of course, things don’t always go smoothly throughout a match, but it’s definitely taking good shape.”

In the following match against Kobe Steelers, Hirai was named as a support member and traveled to Noevir Stadium Kobe to serve as a training opponent before the game. Once his scrummaging becomes more established, a League One appearance will be much closer.

“It’s all about building.”

He knows that repeated reps are the shortest path forward. A simultaneous debut with his university classmates Aoki and Komura may come sooner than expected.