Health issues trouble our head coach as he prepares for the upcoming season, threatening to reveal his secret. He isn’t the type to rely on others and seek help, but this is all bound to change now that more people are catching on to his failing health.
In the interim, our shooting coach gets more screen time as she navigates work-related and personal stress.
Bunny S. watches The Winning Try on Netflix
The Winning Try Episodes 5 and 6 Highlights
“What about rugby? I can still play though, right?”
Three years ago, Ga-ram was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a disease that tires out muscles and makes them weak. It also might cause paralysis of the body and affect the respiratory system. However, only the principal is aware of it. (Ga-ram tried to tell Yi-ji but backed out.) In the present, sensing something is off with him, Yi-ji checks on Ga-ram. But just then, the principal shows up and brushes the situation off as Ga-ram drinking too much to the extent his legs gave out.
The rugby team might be complete, but they have trouble securing a place to train. With the other teams reserving all the spots, Ga-ram drags the team to the swimming pool. Pros: It has a lower risk of injury and can help them with the training. Cons: The swimming team will return soon, and the place is not spacious enough. So, this only serves as a temporary solution.
“I don’t think it is my time to leave yet.”
Enlisting help from a friend, Ga-ram takes the team for some outside training at a soccer field. But first, they have to play a match against the soccer team, which Ga-ram lets the other team win. Sharing that their next goal is to win the nationals, Ga-ram urges the boys to work hard and train tenaciously. This way, third-year students can attend college, and the team will recruit new players and remain afloat. It might be a long shot, but the boys feel excited and resolve to do their best.
With other schools leaving our rugby team out of practice matches for the new season, Ga-ram organizes a game against the pro team he used to play for, going as far as to beg. The catch is: a team member, Oh Yeong-gwang (Kim E-jun), is taking the police entrance exam on the same day. Which escalates into a fistfight among the team after Yeong-gwang declares he can’t play that day.
Ga-ram’s life revolved around rugby, so he mistakenly thought it would be the case for everyone. Yet while he had recruiters lining up to scout him, Yeong-gwang believes he doesn’t stand a chance and wants to plan for his future before it is too late. Through a tough challenge, Ga-ram helps Yeong-gwang realize his potential and then leaves the choice to him. Every player will eventually leave the field, but Ga-ram wishes that when that comes for Yeong-gwang, he will do it willingly without regrets.
Moved by Ga-ram’s words and a heartfelt letter from the boys rooting for him to pass the exam, Yeong-gwang drops the exam and joins them for the match. They might have lost, but they scored 12 points against a pro team with national players on it. Which calls for a celebration.
“My coach and your coach were a legendary couple at school.”
Meanwhile, as a punishment for deliberately hitting outside the target, U-jin is scolded and loses her captaincy to Seol-hyeon (who was the vice-captain). Hearing about it, Seong-jun adorably resolves to take responsibility and comfort U-jin. After all, she did it because he pleaded with her to let them win, right? (That was hilarious.)
While U-jin accepts Seong-jun’s apology for calling her a snitch, she brings him down to earth #1 She didn’t lose because of him. #2 She isn’t interested in his suggestion to follow in their predecessors’ footsteps, relying on each other, and creating synergy. Funnily enough, the guy was dumped before he could properly confess.
“Do you want this to be your retirement match?”
With her contract renewal off the table, Yi-ji’s only chance at survival is to join a pro team. Yet given her age, she must have experience being on Team Korea. So, the upcoming national tryouts are her last chance. When Ga-ram disappeared, Yi-ji dropped out of the tryouts to look for him and got kicked off the team she was on. So, it hits harder.
At first, Yi-ji does well on the tryouts and is ranked fourth, then moves up to third. But Coach Jeon threatens to ruin her shooting career if Yi-ji doesn’t relinquish her spot to Seol-hyeon, who came in fifth. (Only four players will make the national team.) Yi-ji tries to ignore his words, but can’t focus and misses the timing to take the last shot, getting her disqualified.
Further complicating matters, a rumor spreads about Yi-ji and Seol-hyeon rigging the match results. Mr. Na is furious that his dear daughter is getting embroiled in a scandal. He doesn’t care about the truth but Seol-hyeon’s image, pressuring Yi-ji to take the fall explain the situation to the association. Another source of stress is U-jin’s mother, Kim So-hyun (Jo Yeon-hee), a former national shooter turned tiger mother. Not only does she suffocate U-jin with her nagging and sky-high expectations, but she also seems to want Yi-ji gone.
Snapping from the pressure, Yi-ji pushes herself too hard and even misses the roll call for the shooting team. Covering for her, Ga-ram calls the roll and then heads to see Yi-ji. They sit down for a moment, where both admit to being scared of becoming useless.
The next day, Yi-ji and Coach Jeon head to the association to give a statement. Unless they say something convincing to dismiss the rigging claims, both Yi-ji and Seol-hyeon will get suspended. So, Coach Jeon goads Yi-ji to lie about having the yips and defends Seol-hyeon while Yi-ji sits there quietly.
For a moment, we hoped Yi-ji would reveal the truth, but frustratingly, she claims she panicked and couldn’t take the last shot. Still, we can’t entirely blame her for lying since Coach Jeon is nasty enough to ruin her career out of spite. But unless Yi-ji stands up for herself, she will continue getting treated as a pushover by Coach Jeon and even Seol-hyeon.
“As long as you are their coach, no scout is going to watch Hanyang High’s match.”
The brackets are out for the Presidents Cup. For their first match, our rugby team will play against Daesang. Normally, scouts from colleges and professional teams attend those matches to recruit players. Yet, no scout is interested in our boys as they shun Ga-ram. After a long day of getting kicked out and sprayed with salt, Ga-ram manages to sway one person to give our rugby team a chance, his former head coach from the time he was on the national team.
Amidst all this, Ga-ram’s condition declines. He has trouble holding things and gets transferred discreetly to the hospital after having another seizure. Worse, the vice principal and his clique are digging around to find something on him and might find out his secret.
Stressed because of his deteriorating condition, Ga-ram loses his temper and scolds the entire team when a player, Do Hyeong-sik (Yoon Jae-chan), injures his shoulder while playing around. Luckily, the situation gets sorted out quickly after both parties apologize. As we end this week, Ga-ram collapses once again and passes out before Yi-ji, but this time the cat slips out of the bag and she learns everything.
The Winning Try Episodes 5 and 6 Musings
Between the school politics and Ga-ram’s illness, we are worried the underdog tale will be sidelined. But instead of complaining about what could have been, we are trying to take what we get: the bonding moments between Yeong-gwang and the rest, and the rugby team waiting outside Ga-ram’s room with their heads down to apologize, and then the group hug.
The boys follow Ga-ram like ducklings follow their father duck. And we hope he leans on them too, instead of hiding. It won’t be easy to share the truth with them, but that is the path Ga-ram has to take to achieve personal growth.
At least, Yi-ji is now aware of everything, and her support will surely help Ga-ram get through this. He never stopped caring about her, as suggested by the stack of her favorite earplugs he collected. But he needs to make it up to her first for hurting her. Who knows? Perhaps this couple can continue where they left off.
Photos and Videos: SBS Drama
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