It's that time of year again, and now we have a gripping sports drama that motivates us to strive and be special (even if we spend all day in bed). Mainstream sports dramas always tend to succeed; even if they're bad, they motivate or inspire you to be better. So here we are with another Korean drama that I hope will be similar to the iconic Racket Boys. The Winning Try tells the story of a legendary rugby player, Ga-Ram, who won in 2022 against Japan. However, three years later, we discover that he retired due to being involved in a doping scandal. We already know the mystery of his doping scandal, but to make the series even more fun, Ga-Ram joins a sports school as the new rugby coach.
In the first two episodes, we see the resilience of a coach who seemingly betrayed his team at the peak of his career, but will it move the kids who really just want to play rugby? The first episode of "The Winning Try" shows Ju Ga-Ram at the peak of his game, winning against the Japanese team before all hell breaks loose. Suddenly, we're transported to Hanyang Physical Education High School, where the rugby team's coach is on leave and the team is struggling to make ends meet.
Stars: Yoon Kyesang, Im She-mi, Kim Yo-han
This isn't your average school, as it's a sports school, and all these kids want to get into college through their sports. The same goes for the rugby team, which continues to be ignored by the series' numerous villains, led by the vice-principal. Fortunately for the team, the principal herself is on their side and it's she who suddenly brings Ju Ga-Ram in to coach them. Much of the first episode focuses on introducing us to the series' numerous characters. The seven rugby players and some of the other educators don't want the rugby team to survive, especially with Ga-Ram in charge.
At the beginning of the episode, the team is scheduled to play a rugby match, but the opposing team's coach wants to abandon the match because they don't have a coach. If someone gets injured, it would be dangerous for them. The team captain, Seong-Jun, who seems to take not only the game but also life too seriously, begs the coach to let them play, saying they have permission, but he refuses. Finally, Ga-Ram shows up, but Seong-Jun is the one who decides not to play, claiming they don't have a coach. I said he takes everything too seriously, so obviously he won't accept being coached by someone who's been doping. But Ga-Ram isn't one to give up easily either.
Meanwhile, we meet the shooting star (see what I did there? haha), Bae I-Ju. She's not only a coach but also an active athlete. Ga-Ram and I-Ju have a history. After the incident, he abandoned her without warning, without saying a word about where he was going or what happened. It's been three years, and I-Ju wants to kill the man for ruining a ten-year relationship (ugh!).
But it's not just I-Ju and the captain who oppose Ga-Ram's presence at school. Half of the other educators, including the vice president, Nak-Gyun (a fellow coach), and Heung-Nam, who appears to be his assistant, don't want Ga-Ram around either. But more importantly, they don't see the point of a rugby team, since they haven't won in a whole year. They ruin the team's morale, subjecting them to terrible routines and even suspending Ga-Ram. Although Seong-Jun pretends not to like him, the truth is, he's their biggest fan. But it doesn't help because even after Ga-Ram treats his shoulder, the next day, he and the team get into a fight with another team, making things worse. The final straw is when the boys aren't allowed to put their rugby ball on the table during an initiation ceremony. This enrages the team, but Ga-Ram is the one who takes the initiative. He uses that same ball and throws it across the field directly at a pig-faced cake, to which the vice-principal bows (how funny!). The epilogue of the first episode shows that Ga-Ram still cares about I-Ju, and there's a deep backstory.
Episode 2 of "The Winning Attempt" begins with Ga-Ram asking people to vote against his dismissal, and the vice-principal and his team try to convince people to fire him. Even Seong-Jun votes for the dismissal, but all the coaches vote against it because they don't want the rugby team to join their sports (wow!). The next thing we knew, the team was getting good training from Ga-Ram. He made them run up and down stairs, etc. The team also started trying harder to play well, but the bad guys were planning something big: a match against an unbeatable team. Not only were they number one, but they were also much bigger than the Hanyang.
But Seong-Jun doesn't want to lose. He decides to quit training, and we learn a little about him. The boy is famous as a rugby genius, but he has a brother who lives abroad. Surprisingly, upon returning home, he has to call his mother to find out he's not in the country, but has gone to see his brother (plus, it was so weird seeing that landline). It seems like he could be the abandoned child, because he's good at what he does and knows how to take care of himself. Ga-Ram goes and sulks over banana milk and fried chicken (yes, he doesn't drink or smoke). The next day, he's in Seong-Jun's apartment building with a megaphone, causing a ruckus. Ga-Ram tells Seong-Jun to join him in playing rugby. All he wants is for him to have fun playing the sport he truly loves. The vice-principal tries to talk to him later about the expulsion, but is interrupted by Ga-Ram himself.
At the end of episode 2 of "The Winning Attempt," it's time to play the losing game. The first half of the match is going terribly, and Seong-Jun is terribly disappointed with the score, which is still tied at 0-0. However, Ga-Ram tells the team that he's going to teach them how to lose well. Ga-Ram is a real coach, and he'll soon have the team going far. The episode ends with Seong-Jun finally getting a point on the scoreboard, which is enough to motivate not only the team, but everyone watching. Seong-Jun even makes Ga-Ram's famous hand gesture.
In the epilogue, we see Ga-Ram talking to Tae-Pung, one of the players. He's planning to transfer schools because the old coach made him an offer. He believes the Hanyang team is basically useless. Tae-Pung is the newest player on the team, but he's already given up. Ga-Ram tells him he can decide what he wants to do and that he's worked hard so far. Before saying goodbye, she tells him his ankles are in danger because of his playing style. She even explains how to take care of himself—a final goodbye? Or the reason Tae-Pung will stay? We'll have to wait and see.
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