A look back at the ARSS2024/Korea tournament and a follow-up on the results of the subsequent tournament in China
The Asia Rugby Sevens Series (ARSS) 2024 has kicked off. This year's series will consist of three tournaments, with the first tournament in Korea (Incheon) on September 8-9, the second tournament in China (Hangzhou) on September 22-23, and the third tournament in Thailand (Bangkok) on November 9-10. Both the men's and women's national teams of Japan are participating in the series with the aim of becoming number one in Asia.
The results of the first leg of the series in Korea, held on September 8th and 9th, are as follows.
After the first leg, the top four teams in the series are as follows. *The numbers in parentheses are the series points.
Hong Kong China (12 points)
China (10)
Japan (8)
South Korea (7)
This year's participating men's teams are eight teams from Hong Kong (China), China, South Korea, UAE, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.
Similarly, the top four women's teams are as follows:
China (12)
Hong Kong China (10)
Japan (8)
Thailand (7)
This year's participating women's teams are eight teams from China (Hong Kong, China), Thailand, Kazakhstan, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.
Japan finished in third place for both the men's and women's competitions in the first leg. As the one who has been covering the Korean round on the ground since last year, I continue to feel that it is not easy for Japan to win in Asia.
The ARSS is a series to determine the top player in Asia, and is also a battle for the right to participate in the next category, the HSBC Sevens Challenger (for convenience, referred to as the Challenger Series).
Since two (or three) teams from Asia can participate in the Challenger Series, the top two (or three) teams in the ARSS series rankings will be given the right to participate in the Challenger Series. However, this does not include teams that already have the status of a core team in the higher category of the Challenger Series, "HSBC SVNS" (for convenience, we will call it SVNS). Therefore, for the women's competition, the top two (or three) teams excluding Japan and China will be given the right to participate.
*Each region will be allocated two (or three) spots.
*The number of spots is determined based on team performance, so each region is not allocated an equal number of spots.
Last season, ARSS had two men's teams, Japan and Hong Kong China, and three women's teams, China, Thailand and Hong Kong China. Of these, only the women's team, China, made it into the top four in the Challenger Series (Men's Hong Kong China came in 5th, Japan came in 8th, Thailand came in 7th, and Women's Hong Kong China came in 9th). The women's team, China, also participated in the Core Team Promotion/Religation Tournament and won brilliantly, earning promotion to this season's SVNS Core Team.
Incidentally, the Japanese women's team also participated in the promotion tournament as an SVNS core team, and managed to win and maintain their status as a core team. Of the 12 SVNS core teams, the top 8 teams in series points will compete for the series championship in the Grand Final (kind of like a playoff. A format that started last season), and the bottom 4 teams will compete with the top 4 teams in the Challenger Series in the Promotion/Relegation Tournament to remain a core team (4 slots).
Well, the three men's teams that will be competing for the right to participate in the Challenger Series (competing for promotion to SVNS) in this year's ARSS are Japan, Hong Kong China, and China. For Japan, in addition to the delay in team building, the fact that there are "only" three ARSS tournaments is also a cause for concern. The second tournament in China has already ended and the results are coming in, and as expected, it has become a close race right up to the final leg, but we'll talk about that later. In addition, in the women's competition, excluding Japan and China, the strength of Thailand and Hong Kong China is far superior to the other teams, so it is almost certain that these two teams (plus one other team) will participate in the Challenger Series.
Let's take a look back at the Paris Olympics. In the women's competition, Japan placed 9th and China placed 6th. Japan, the core team of SVNS, placed 9th in the Olympics, which is in line with their series standings (9th), so they were able to perform as they should. The fact that the members of the team that competed for the medals were also in the top positions in the series standings shows that everyday performance matters. It's fine to say, "My dream for the future is to win a gold medal at the Olympics," but you can't say, "My goal at this Olympics is to win a medal" until you've become a team that can compete for the top four at SVNS. It's a selfish idea to perform well only at the Olympics -- you need to learn the reality quickly.
That being said, I was surprised by China's 6th place finish, despite them being outside the core team. After losing to Japan in the Asian final qualifying round (despite China having a slight advantage in terms of ability), they moved on to the World final qualifying round, where they showed the same momentum they had gained on the pitch at Saint-Denis in Paris. No. 2 Yan Meiling, No. 7 Chen Keyi, and No. 11 Liu Xiaoqian were in full swing. Speaking of which, South Africa, who won the men's Olympic final qualifying round, won the bronze medal, but the fact that South Africa, a world powerhouse, lost in the African qualifying round (to Kenya), was a shock in itself, but I was especially happy that they overcame the threat of the team's collapse, brilliantly won the World final qualifying round, and showed the usual Blitzbokka (nickname for the South African team) at the Olympics.
Japan was the only Asian team to participate in the Olympics in the men's division. They finished in last place, so far that it's painful to look back on them. In addition, they conceded more than 40 points in three consecutive pool games, a huge breakthrough from previous Olympic records. Under former head coach Simon Amor, the team went into the game with the motto "Faster & Braver," but it was just a joke, and they had a really tough time building the team even before the Olympics. This was my last chance to meet Simon, but I can still picture in my mind the back of Simon, who, after finishing the final match in Germany without any results in the Challenger Series last season, was unusually (!) refusing to accept a post-match interview as he headed to the locker room.
In short, Japan had abandoned the Challenger Series and was planning a strategy to cause an upset at the Olympics, but considering that the Challenger Series was the only step to the SVNS core team, it is very doubtful whether such a gamble-like tactic without any consideration for the future could have left any legacy in the Japanese rugby world. Specifically, the key to the tactic was the super rush defense, which was to regain the ball in three rucks or less (aiming for the opponent's penalty or turnover), but unfortunately it did not work until the end. Or rather, it was unclear how likely the tactic was to work, and Simon himself left his position as head coach without saying anything.
As for the players, Shotaro Tsuoka, Kelebi Joshua and Taichi Yoshizawa are the only members of the Olympic squad who are in the ARSS this time (for now). Tsuoka is 2OK. At the WRSS (World Rugby Sevens Series) when Japan was still a core team, he made the peace and OK signs after a try performance, saying, "2OK". At the media conference just before the Olympics, he looked happy and said that he was in the best condition he's ever been in, so he must have been very disappointed at the Olympics. After all, if you just look at the 2OK plays, they shone brightly at the Olympics.
That 2OK stayed in sevens. He stayed. After the Olympics, 2OK faced three options. Retire, try again with the 15, or continue with sevens. After much deliberation, he chose sevens. One reason was that the offer from the JRFU was the most solid one he had ever received, and the other was that he felt he had not been able to properly pass the baton to the next generation. These two things were the main reasons he decided to continue with sevens. Still, he doesn't say he's aiming for the next Olympics. It's painfully clear that the mental scars from the Olympics are not so easy to heal. Josh and Taichi probably won't be able to make it to the next Olympics, and they will eventually move away from sevens. What will the other players who participated in the Olympics do?
Speaking of which, Hara-chan (Wakaba Hara), the ace of the women's team, said this after deciding to remain in the core team at last season's SVNS Grand Final. "We have a responsibility to pass on to the next generation. We have discussed this among ourselves." Remaining in the core team is one way of fulfilling our responsibility to the next generation. At that time in the mixed zone, Harachan spoke of retiring from the national team after the Olympics. Marriage may have been one of the reasons for retiring, and it's fine if there are other things she wants to do. If she had said that she would continue after all, that would be nice. But it's a real shame that a star player who is about to reach her peak as a player decides to retire early and says that she wants to retire.
On the other hand, the men's side is still undecided. Are they worried about the intentions of their own team? Of course, most of the players probably receive their living wages from their team, and even though they belong to a team, they may feel uncomfortable or guilty because they don't spend time with their teammates at training camps and tournaments all year round. After all, it seems that many of the players working in the rugby industry in this country believe that the biggest goal and value of rugby is to "overcome difficulties together with their teammates" and "play and win games together with their teammates." If that's the case, it's only natural that they would want to get back to their teammates right now, before they get left behind. Unfortunately, it may be that the idea that even in the sevens, everyone overcomes difficulties together and aims to win... is not accepted within the industry.
The Olympics are over for the men's team, and so they didn't get any results, there's no clear future for them, and with a new head coach, the team's members for the Korea tournament have been almost completely replaced, so they'll have to start from scratch again.
Let's take a look at the power map of Asia again. Hong Kong China is leading the men's team by a large margin. Having not forgotten the bitter experience they had in the Challenger Series last season, they have adopted a policy of trying out new forces while retaining core members such as Max Denmark and Hugo Stiles, and are now far ahead of the other teams.
However, if we look further back, the top group in the world is made up of 12 SVNS core teams, followed by the second group of the top four teams from the Challenger Series. Following them are the third group of Challenger Series participating teams, where Japan was last season. And now Japan is starting to fall behind the third group. First of all, participating in the Challenger Series is a realistic goal.
Meanwhile, China is on the rise. Encouraged by the success of the women's team at the Olympics, both men and women are in the midst of a further training campaign. The reason why the New Zealand Sevens team was called the "All Blacks manufacturing factory" was because of former head coach Sir Gordon Titchen, and now Gordon is in his second season as an advisor to the Chinese team. If he can instill a for-the-team mindset in the "individualistic" Chinese players with the skill he used to train "that" moody Samoa into a disciplined team after leaving New Zealand, they will become a formidable opponent for Japan. As I was watching the game with this in mind, the first thing I noticed was the improvement in rugby skills. They were trying out running skills that can be improved individually, especially change of pace, during the game. The Chinese players are originally confident in their physical strength, so if they add even a little skill to that, their level as players will immediately improve. As they do this, if the players themselves begin to realize that they cannot win with individual skills alone, and that they cannot win without moving as a team, we may finally be able to expect tactical growth. The women's team, which started training earlier, was initially a disjointed team where each player was isolated and relied solely on their individual athletic abilities, but now they are able to play matches with a focus on team play. Since the women's team is seeing results, the Titchen effect will likely spread to the men's team sooner or later.
In addition, the growth of Thailand, currently third in the women's standings, cannot be overlooked. Although they are not large in size or particularly strong, and do not have a physical advantage, they have improved their fitness, breakdown and passing (quick hands), and have rapidly grown to become the top of the second group after Japan and China. Above all, there is no doubt that the experience gained in last season's Challenger Series has improved the team's overall strength. It is clear that the opportunity to repeatedly compete against other teams of similar ability in a serious match and the experience gained from close matches there is great.
So, the current ranking of the top Asian teams is as follows.
Men's: Hong Kong China > Japan ≒ China
Women's: China ≧ Japan > Thailand > Hong Kong China
Focusing on the men's side, Hong Kong and China are strengthening their teams with their best members. Assuming Japan is in the process of building its team from scratch, the picture looks like Hong Kong will take first place, with China and Japan competing for second and third place. To repeat, if you don't finish in the top two teams in the ARSS, you won't be eligible to participate in the Challenger Series. And as mentioned above, there are "only" three races in the ARSS. Since the ranking is decided by the total series points from the three races, if you are far behind, it will be difficult to make a comeback. There is no time to leisurely build a team.
*Series rankings are determined by the total points from all three games.
*If two teams have the same number of points, rankings will be determined by head-to-head results (win/loss, goal difference, number of tries, etc.)
*If three teams have the same number of points, rankings will be determined by goal difference.
Here we share the results of the second leg in China, which took place on September 21st and 22nd.
Japan men's team somehow managed to overcome the semi-final match against China and made it to the finals. Although they lost to Hong Kong China in the finals, they were a worthy runner-up considering the points. After the second leg, the top four teams in the men's series points are as follows:
Hong Kong China (24 points)
China (18)
Japan (18) *Tied with China, but ranked 3rd due to head-to-head results
South Korea (14)
Hong Kong China is so strong that it is hard to imagine them not progressing to the semi-finals (4th place or better) in the final match, so they are expected to reach at least 31 points in total. Either China or Japan can win up to 30 points, so they will not be able to catch up with Hong Kong China. This means that the battle for the Challenger Series spot will be narrowed down to China and Japan. China is expected to advance to the top of the next pool match (same group as Korea), so there is a high possibility that they will face Japan (2nd place) in the semi-finals. The winner of this semi-final will earn the right to participate in the Challenger Series.
So far, China and Japan have a record of one win and one loss. However, considering the balance of power between the two teams, where Japan wins by a small margin and loses by a large margin, China has a slight advantage. However, if China plays a hasty game, perhaps due to their excessive enthusiasm and lack of experience, as they did in the China tournament, they will be able to play at Japan's pace. Even so, I am concerned about the condition of 2OK, who was replaced due to injury in the second match against the UAE.
With such predictions based on experience, or perhaps just hypothetical calculations, Japan's men's position in Asia is far from solid.
Next, let's take a look at the results of the second women's tournament in China.
Japan women's team also came in second. Although they lost to China in the final, it was a big step for the team to overcome the semi-final match against Thailand with a calm game. After the second leg, the top four women's teams are:
China (24)
Japan (18)
Hong Kong China (17)
Thailand (15)
The women's team is in a different position from the men's team, in a different position from the current standings. As mentioned above, both China and Japan already have the status of a core team, so they can use the ARSS as a place to build their team. In the case of Japan, the members who participated in the Olympics and the players who competed for the Olympic squad until the end are given a recharge period to refresh themselves and start moving again for Los Angeles. However, there are also players such as Mayu Yoshino, Yukino Tsujizaki, and Kiyoka Ohashi who have raised their hands and are seeking growth in the game, with the feeling that "it is when the Olympic members are resting that they will take a chance to grow." China is also in the stage where the Olympic members are gradually returning.
After a break of about a month and a half, Japan will assemble their best members for the ARSS 3rd tournament in Thailand on November 9-10, and accelerate team building for the opening leg of the coming SVNS season in Dubai on November 30. Some players have announced their retirement from the national team or active competition after the Olympics, so even though there will be changes in players, I would like the team to build a team for the new season based on the accumulated experience they have gained as a team so far. Just as I was thinking this, new head coach Yuka Kanematsu mentioned one keyword in an interview after the tournament.
The keyword for team building is "connection." This single character embodies four ideas: connecting the oval ball (play), connecting thoughts (minds), connecting history (respect for our predecessors), and connecting people around the world (the social value of rugby).
"Rio, Tokyo, Paris. I think the "Sakura sevens" took part in all three tournaments and made the right decision. We want to connect each experience, build on it, and aim to become an even more evolved team. We want to cherish each and every year, take one step at a time, and be in a position to aim for the gold medal by the time of the Los Angeles Olympics."
I could certainly understand the coaching philosophy and targets of Kanematsu. However, the national team is not a club team. It is not a place to grow up, but a place where results are everything. Moreover, the stage of the battle is SVNS, where they will compete with the best in the world. They will be able to reach a medal at the Olympics only after they have achieved results there. However, it is not an unrealistic goal. At least, the fact that they are in the same position as the top group in the world means that there is a reason for the women's team to aim for a medal. They placed 9th in the series standings last season. Their first target is to move up one more ranking and always be in the top 8. Then they will advance to the best 4 and compete for a medal at SVNS. By the time that happens, the Olympics in Los Angeles will be here.
On the other hand, the men's team is currently at the back of the third pack (the Challenger Series), barely managing to avoid dropping out, and the person who has taken over the team from this situation is new head coach Phil Greening, a former England and Lions hooker and former captain of the England sevens team.
What can we expect from Greening, who only joined the team a week before the Korea Tournament? On the pitch after the tournament, we asked him his first words since taking over as head coach of the Japanese national team.
The basic approach of my coaching in Japan is to create a pathway from sevens to 15 rugby and to instill an open-mind so that players can make their own decisions and play. I intend to strengthen Japan sevens with these two pillars.
"Pathway" means that by participating in sevens training, players will be evaluated for their micro-skills and S&C (strength and conditioning) that will enable them to play in 15-man rugby. Evaluation is an evaluation from the club or national team coach, and what players do is the same whether they play sevens or 15-man rugby. The basics of rugby are always the same.
In the words of Greening, "I think Japan has more depth in the player pool than England. But it's ridiculous that there are so many players who can't play in clubs, youth teams, or universities." In other words, if you entrust those "unplayed" players to sevens, we will improve their abilities and give them back to you. It is also a methodology for recruiting players, asking them to entrust their players to us for a while. The person who actually built such a pathway was former New Zealand sevens head coach Gordon Titchen, who was once called the All Black manufacturing factory. For example, there are too many to mention, such as Jonah Lomu, Joe Rokocoko, Mills Muliaina, Cory Jane, Ben Smith, Israel Dagg, Liam Messam, and the current All Black, Rieko Ioane. Of course, the support system of the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU), which is responsible for the front office and management, also bears a large responsibility for whether Greening's merit-providing approach will work.
The other one, "open-mind", may be a more difficult challenge. The literal translation into Japanese of "open your heart" gives the image of everyone getting along, but "open-mind" here means being able to choose the best option for yourself depending on the situation. In other words, it means not just doing what you are told, but thinking and acting with your own head, and there is no other code that binds Japanese behavior so deeply. Do what you are told properly. In other words, don't do, can't do, or don't want to do what you are not told to do. Let's change the awareness of that code of conduct so that we can act more independently. Greening himself seems to be interested in Japanese ways of thinking, such as wabi-sabi and the spiritual theory derived from the tea ceremony, such as ichigo ichie, and he says he incorporates it into his own coaching. He also has a good understanding of the relationship between seniors and juniors that is unique to Japan and the mindset of being on the same level.
However, knowing such things and changing them are two completely different things. Before coming to Japan, Greening HC had been developing the US national team with Mike Friday for 10 years. During that time, the US had grown to the top level in the world and was able to play at the top of the SVNS series. Those 10 years were the time it took to instill "rugby" into top athletes such as Perry Baker, Carlin Iles, and Danny Barrett, not the time it took to change the players' "mindsets". Changing mindsets will take more time than instilling rugby. Will we wait that long, or can we wait?
In the short term, yelling at boys from above like Eddie Jones would be one way to get them to move, but that is really only temporary and is a way to survive the reign of terror of a tyrant, and nothing will change in essence. Once that period is over, things will just go back to the way they were. Instead, former head coach Simon Amor tried to encourage a spontaneous change of mindset through dialogue. But that takes a huge amount of time. It was clear from the beginning that the team-building policy that Simon wanted to implement would take time, but despite that, the front office forced the team to achieve results (at the Olympics) in a short period of time, which led to the team's collapse. If the same attitude is taken toward the new head coach Greening, then perhaps the words "pathway" and "open-mind" will just fly around, just like in Simon's time, and we will see a team that just keeps going around in circles, without any accumulation, and the appropriate results.
Even so, this is exactly what it means to pick up chestnuts from a fire, and to immediately hold the coach responsible just because there are no results at present is fair to say that the appointee is irresponsible, as there is only so much that can be done on the ground. If we want results on the ground, we need to clarify the support system, responsibilities and authority of the front office before that, and we should start by sorting out how to strengthen Japan's sevens and what is needed to do that, and solidify the foundation. As long as there are flaws in the structure, what can be done on the ground will soon reach its limit and reach a dead end. Still, it is a relief that Greening's expression is cheerful.
Continuity, accumulation, reflection, review. What Japan lacks now is this combination and sense of balance. We must not be distracted by the festival of the Olympics and abandon the important process, and we must not make the same mistake twice. There are things we can change and things we cannot change, and there are things we should change and things we should not change. What should we do and how should we do it? With something like a hope for the distant future that is not so vague as to be called a faint hope, a new season of sevens begins again.
(Editor in Chief)