Ryusei Koike: “If I’m going to play, I carry the mindset of representing the team’s best flankers.”

On April 26, Toyota Verblitz faced Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Round 16 of League One. In a tightly contested match where neither side would give an inch, Verblitz pulled away in the closing stages to secure a 40–28 victory.

The score was 28–28 until the 26th minute of the second half. It was a game like a tug-of-war, with both sides chasing seven-point swings—pulling, being pulled—until Verblitz finally summoned all their strength to drag the rope of victory their way.

The Black Rams sitting at fourth place in the league, could secure their first-ever League One playoff berth with a win, and the stands at Chichibunomiya were packed with fans dressed in the team’s black colors.

The opening try came in the 4th minute, finished by winger Mark Tele’a after a sequence that began with a kick catch by fellow winger Taichi Takahashi. However, Verblitz were soon put under pressure by Black Rams and struggled for territory. In the 12th minute, an interception led to a dangerous break, but Tele’a tracked back and made a crucial, try-saving tackle. Wearing the number 11 jersey that day, he not only contributed to scoring opportunities but also repeatedly saved the team with his cover defense.

Throughout the 80 minutes, both sides applied intense pressure at the breakdown. Verblitz struggled in the scrum, while their opponents had difficulties in the lineout. What ultimately decided the close contest was Verblitz’s counter-rucking, which broke through tight phases in one surge.

In the 36th minute of the second half, prop Hamdan Tuipulotu’s try—which effectively sealed the win—came after applying pressure to opposing scrum-half TJ Perenara, then quickly picking up the ball from a counter-ruck.

“We talked during the match as a team and felt, ‘We can go for this,’ so we communicated and targeted the counter-ruck,”

reflected Ryusei Koike, who made his first start of the season and delivered relentless tackles while carrying strongly with the ball.

“If I’m going to play as a No. 7, I feel I’m representing the team’s best flankers. I’m selected for my tackling, so if I don’t deliver, I can’t face the other flankers.”

Flanker Issa Yamakawa, who came on in the 28th minute of the second half, has also steadily built his abilities through “Mirai Matches.” The frustration of not being selected and the pride of representing teammates came to fruition on this big stage.

Player of the Match went to Taichi Takahashi, who scored the go-ahead try in the 27th minute of the second half.

“Saia made a line break, and I followed from behind to support him. Then the ball Perenara tried to rip away hit my head and bounced forward—kind of like a tactical header,” he joked.

Takahashi’s contribution went beyond just the try, as he also played a key role in handling kicks and cover defense as usual.

“Our balance between kicking and maintaining attacking phases has improved as the season has gone on. Before, we were too eager to attack and would tire ourselves out in the middle stages or lose rhythm due to mistakes. But now, with players like Rikiya, Shinya and Aidan controlling the game, our area management has improved.”

With two matches remaining, the must-win situation continues. In the next round, on a short week, Verblitz will host Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath at Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium in their final home game of the league season.

“What we’ve been doing hasn’t changed since preseason. The results just didn’t follow, and there were moments when our decision-making faltered. But beating Toshiba in Round 9 gave us confidence in what we’ve been building since preseason. Now, everyone is seeing the same picture,” said Koike.

As in the previous Kobe game, even after the final horn, every player continued to fight relentlessly for a bonus point. Carrying this focus forward, they will battle through the remaining two matches.