Rikiya Matsuda: “Not giving up easily even in those situations will lead to the future.” 

On the 18th of April, Toyota Verblitz faced Kobelco Kobe Steelers at Toyota Stadium in Round 15 of League One. Under the clear blue April sky, the annual “Raijin Festival” featured various events in and around the stadium, drawing a crowd of 24,354 spectators. The match saw Kobe take the lead, with Verblitz chasing. In the second half, they closed the gap to four points but were pulled away again, ultimately losing 24–38.

With six minutes remaining, Verblitz trailed 17–38, a 21-point deficit. Time was tight for turning the result around, but no one on the pitch lost the will to keep attacking until the very end.

In the 38th minute, deep in their own territory near the goal line, they forced a turnover. The ball passed through eight pairs of hands before reaching fly-half Rikiya Matsuda, who was earning his 100th cap that day. Matsuda executed a short punt toward the center of the field, which fullback Shinya Komura cleanly caught and then sprinted nearly 60 meters.

“I got the call from Rikiya to kick, and it was a perfect kick, so I went for it,” said Komura.

Komura grounded the ball at 39 minutes and 30 seconds. Matsuda, calmly calculating the remaining time, did not stop moving.

“If I took the conversion after the final horn, the match would end there.”

Even for the ball he would kick himself, “to keep playing and going afterward, I had Taichi bringing me the ball.”

In the match footage, jersey number 14 can be seen running off. The final horn sounded just after Matsuda swung his leg through the kick. The conversion was successful, making it 24–38. There was still one play left.

“Score one more try, close it to within seven points, and secure one bonus point”—that was the shared intent of the entire team.

They continued attacking by taking advantage of the advantage rule, but in the 43rd minute, their lineout near the goal line was stolen by opposing lock Brodie Retallick, bringing the match to an end.

At the post-match press conference, head coach Steve Hansen first praised Matsuda’s 100th cap. “To play at this level for so long is outstanding. On behalf of myself and the team, I want to congratulate him.”

Although they did not secure victory, the match also demonstrated why Matsuda is entrusted with the number 10 role on the top team.

“Not giving up easily even in those situations will lead to the future. We couldn’t get a bonus point, but I think we showed in many moments that we never gave up until the end,” said Matsuda.

That determination was also conveyed to the VOLTs who came to the stadium. After the final horn, during the all-out attack, chants of “Go, go, Verblitz!” naturally erupted. It was a moment when the team and the VOLTs became one.

While evaluating that “I am satisfied with the players’ effort and spirit,” Coach Hansen also reflected, “In matches against strong opponents, you must capitalize on every single moment. There were several situations where we couldn’t do that, and there were periods where the team lost its composure.”

The decisive period came in the first ten minutes of the second half. After a series of penalties by the opposition, Matsuda’s penalty goal brought the score to 17–21, a four-point difference. As they looked to press further, they were intercepted, and the opposition ran nearly 90 meters (9th minute). Another try was conceded in the 14th minute, widening the gap within five minutes.

Hooker and game captain Yoshikatsu Hikosaka reflected, “For most of the game, we executed the tactics we had prepared. But during the periods when we didn’t, the opponent seized momentum and turned it into points.” In tightly contested phases, however, the opposition proved superior in their ability to seize opportunities in an instant.

For Verblitz, repeated steals in the lineout—usually a stable area—also contributed to their struggles. Kobe captain Retallick is one of the world’s best locks in terms of reading the game and risk management. Coach Hansen expressed unwavering confidence: “Our lineout is functioning at over 90% normally. Today just wasn’t a good day for it.”

With three matches remaining, they cannot afford to lose any.

“After the match, I can see that the players want more. That becomes the driving force for growth. We just need to prepare well again from Monday,” said Hansen.

Learn from the defeat, make adjustments, and grow. A team where players demand “more” will continue to improve. They now aim to accelerate upwards with wins.