Challenges to wheelchair rugby Tokyo Para gold medal

Wheelchair Rugby Challenge for Tokyo Para Gold Medal Oct 24, 19:48

The Japanese representative of the wheelchair rugby won the world championship for the first time last year and is currently ranked second in the world ranking. We aim to win the first gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics.
However, the international tournament, which was held until the 20th of this month, was positioned as the outpost of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, and was ranked 3rd after defeating the world's No. 1 Australia. The challenge to the gold medal that emerged from the match with the nemesis was how to contain the opponent's ace.

World No. 1 About Australia

Australia is the second consecutive Paralympic champion and is currently ranked first in the world ranking.
Its ability is competitive with Japan, the second largest in the world.
In the last year's World Championship finals, Japan won with a one-point difference.
At the international competition in September, the competition was 1 win and 1 loss.
The heart of the Australian offense and defense is Ace's Riley Bat.

Already 17 years since joining the team at the age of 13. It is said to be the “world's number one player” with speed, power, and rich experience.

This month's international tournament, where the world's powerful players gathered as a prelude to the Tokyo Paralympics Japan played against Australia in the semifinals on the 19th.
Japan has been conscious of measures against bat players.
Australia, on the other hand, struggled Japan with “defense” that has hardly been shown so far.
That is the “key defense” that Australia used in the game.

What is Key Defense

“Key Defense” is a defensive defense that blocks 3 players out of 4 players in the “Key Area”, 1 meter 75 centimeters long and 8 meters wide before the trial line.
If the attacker stays in the key area for more than 10 seconds, or if a player who does not have the ball crosses the try line, it will be a foul, so it is a tactic that invites such fouls and mistakes intentionally.

In the past, when Australia played against Japan, many of the “man-to-man defenses” that actively move the wheelchair using the overwhelming speed and power of the bat players were used, and the key defenses were hardly shown.

Yield to key defenses

In this match, Australia has played a key defense at the game center, mainly bat players.
Immediately after the start of the fourth period, when Japan approached with a one-point difference.
Seiya Norimatsu, who was pushed by the bat player tackle, was driven into a foul over the try line without holding the ball.
“The opponent's key defense was so good that I couldn't handle them and I was taken away,” said Norimatsu.
It led to a painful goal in the game, and the game ended up losing by 56 points to 57 points.

Australia showed new tactics with a focus on bat players.
After the match, the representative of Japan, Toru Ike, said, “Australia has been running all the way and winning, and it has been in their own style, but this time is different,” he said. It was suggested that this game was different from the original assumption for Japan.

The representative of Japan, Kevin Orrhead Coach, also said, “It will be a future task to increase the score success rate in the key area,” and he will take measures against bat players who are doing key defense.

Japan harvests for defensive

On the other hand, there was a harvest.
“Defense” against bat players.
During the 3rd period, Ike played a big play that tackled the bat player who was about to try and hit the try post and invited a foul.
Norimatsu, who was appointed with defensive power, continued to put pressure on him, such as successfully blocking the path of the bat player trying to get a pass. The game was closed from start to finish, and Australia was forced to make full use of the bat players. We succeeded in exhausting the physical strength of the bat player.
Mr. Ike said, “Bat players gradually became unable to run and seemed to be tired,” and felt the response of Japanese defense.

Gold medal From “I can” to “I can”

Looking back at the international tournament that ended in third place, Ike said, “I think it is necessary to make an effort that exceeds the image of everyone. We have to change from a team that can get a gold medal to a team that can take a gold medal.” It seemed to re-engage the steepness of the road to the first gold medal.

The representative from Japan held training camps for three days from November to February for 21 days, and strengthened to solve the problems that were newly confirmed in this tournament, and also served as a test tournament for the Tokyo Paralympic Games. I will test my power again at the international competition in March.