Keito Aoki: “I want to contribute to the team in many different ways”

Toyota Verblitz announced their squad for Round 8 of League One, where they will face the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights on February 14. Rikiya Matsuda will start at fly-half against his former club, while Tiaan Falcon wears the No.15 jersey for the first time since the Round 2 match against Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.

They face a powerhouse side that remains the only undefeated team in Division 1. Flanker Keito Aoki, who has been in good form, and winger Yuichiro Wada, who made his first appearance of the season in the previous round, attended the press conference.

The back row remains unchanged from last week, with Aoki at No.6, Akito Okui at No.7, and captain Kazuki Himeno at No.8, forming an all-Japanese trio. Aoki said, “Being able to play together as Teikyo University alumni makes me happiest. Akito and I played together wearing the Teikyo jersey.”

He also draws great inspiration from Himeno during matches. “When things get tough, seeing Himeno-san make tackles and gain ground gives me energy, and it makes me think about how I can contribute. I don’t know if it’s appropriate to say this, but it feels like a good rivalry.”

With the team record standing at one win and six losses, Aoki believes his experience as a leader in a dominant university team gives him perspective. “In the second half, a bit of impatience causes the details to become sloppy, and the cracks gradually get bigger. When what we should be doing becomes unclear, the team starts to lose its way. If we can fix those things, we can become a good team.”

He is clear about his own role in finding a way forward. “If we start doubting ourselves, the team will collapse. We have to believe in what we’re doing. Personally, as a back-rower, it’s about work rate—supporting well and getting into the line as much as possible to increase my tackle count. I want to contribute to the team in many different ways.”

Wada made his first squad appearance of the season in the previous match against Yokohama Canon Eagles, coming on in the 51st minute of the second half and showing stability under the high ball. Last season, he was injured in Round 7 against Sagamihara Dynaboars and did not play again. “After my injury healed, I committed myself again, but I think my communication was lacking.”

The opportunity this season came in a Mirai Match against Shizuoka Blue Revs, played the day before a League One fixture. From the kickoff catch, he made an immediate gain, creating momentum. “In League One, we’ve sometimes fallen behind in the first 10 minutes, so in the Mirai match I told myself, ‘We must take control right from the start.’”

That performance earned him selection. Against the Wild Knights, communication will again be key. “They have a strong defense. You can see the most space out wide, so with the few chances we get, I want to finish them off by communicating with Rikiya-san and Shinya (Komura) when space opens up.”

Co-head coach Ian Foster analyzed the previous loss by saying, “In the second half, we tried too hard to play in our own half, which ended up putting pressure on ourselves.” Against Saitama Wild Knights, the approach will be “to play more simply.”

He outlined the solution as “first, valuing skill execution in the moment; second, understanding the game situation; and third, putting pressure on the opposition rather than on ourselves in the second half.”

Facing a team full of seasoned match-winners, Verblitz will look to find a way forward by taking them on with a clear mind.