Japan’s national rugby team’s Lee Seung-Shin talks about his first World Cup, in which he played “only four minutes”… “What I learned from my dream stage

When Seung-Shin Lee, a standoff for Japan, scored a try, he threw the ball high over his head and shouted with joy. It was as if he was avenging his disappointment at the Rugby World Cup, a tournament he had taken on with high expectations.

The 2023-24 Rugby League One season has begun. Seung-Shin Lee (22), a member of the Kobelco Kobe Steelers, played the opening game against the Mie Honda Heat at center 12 instead of his natural position of standoff 10, scoring one try and two penalty goals, contributing greatly to the victory. He also played at center in the second match against the Shizuoka Blue Revs. In the second match against the Shizuoka Blue Revs, he also played at center and scored a try, and in the 26th minute of the second half, he made a successful pass that led to a comeback. In both games, he set the tone of the game with his sharp runs and accurate passing, and his ability to score points was something that had not been seen in his No. 10 position last year.

Head coach Dave Rennie, who took over Kobe this season, had this to say about Seung-Shin Lee’s use at inside center and his potential as a standoff player: “As far as Seung-Shin Lee’s performance is concerned, he has been a great player for us.

I think it’s great as far as Seung-Shin Lee’s performance. It’s a good reason for him to be out at inside center, but it’s great for the team to have two players who can play the 10 along with Bryn Gatland, who joined the team this season. They both have great situational awareness and skills. As for the future, there is competition within the team; Bryn, who will be playing the number 10 position, has also performed really well, but there is no possibility that Seishin will play the number 10 position in the future. I think it is a matter of how we move forward in the competition.”

The new coach seems to be satisfied with Seung-Shin Lee’s performance, and his answer is clear that he will be able to use Seung-Shin Lee as a “leader” for a long season to come.

In his fourth season with Kobe, Lee Seung-Shin was expected to play as a key No. 10 in the World Cup, but he played only one game and started only four minutes from the 36th minute of the second half against Samoa. In the World Cup in France, he was expected to play as a key No. 10, but he played only one game, starting only four minutes in the 36th minute of the second half against Samoa. He was not a member of the team for the other three games, and the tournament left him with nothing but personal disappointment. After returning to Japan, he said, “The tournament left me with nothing but frustration. There were many people left out of the team, and it was the first time I had experienced such frustration,” he recalls.

That is why this season is so important for me. I am not sure if I will be able to fulfill the role I was asked to play in the games. The breadth of his game has broadened, and the change in his approach to rugby is evident in the following words: “To be honest, last season was a bit of a disappointment.

To be honest, last season I was very focused on playing No. 10 with the World Cup in mind. But now I am focusing on the role I can play and the contribution I can make to help the team win. At the World Cup in France, I will not have game time, and I am very happy to be playing, so I am not particularly focused on that (No. 10) right now.

This is not a “strong” answer, but rather an answer that he has thought long and hard about what he needs to do to grow in the competition before the season begins. I was able to “stand” on the World Cup stage as a member of the Japanese national team, even if it was only for four minutes. At the same time, I realized that I still have a lot of work to do.

I think my playing time at the World Cup showed me that I am not at a level where I can play in the World Cup yet. It was a good energy for the next time, or rather, how much I can work hard from now on with the frustration as a source of inspiration. (At the World Cup), I grew and learned in the process of preparation for the games and mental preparation. Now I am focusing on how well I can prepare for the games, for example, within a week, and how much I can work on my approach. I just need to keep building on this. I am only 22 years old. My rugby career will continue, so I want to try to grow every day.

Incidentally, his older brother Seung-Syuan is a member of Mie, the team he will play against in the season opener. Since this was the first “brother against brother” matchup, the two invited students from their alma mater, Kobe Korean Elementary School. They felt the support of their juniors directly. Seungshin said, “The school itself has a smaller student body.

The school itself is in a difficult situation (due to a decrease in the number of students, etc.), but I believe that these small memories will be a stimulus and have a great impact on the future of the students. Today is a step in that direction. I invited them to today’s game in the hope that I can be that kind of person.

For Seung-Shin Lee, this season has been filled with various thoughts and feelings, and must have been the first step leading to the World Cup in four years.