SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama 'The Winning Try' (written by Im Jin-a, directed by Jang Young-seok) follows an unpredictable, eccentric coach Ju Garam and the perennial cellar-dweller rugby team at Hanyang Sports High School as they charge toward a National Sports Festival title. Episode 8 surged to a peak of 8.8%―7.3% in the Seoul metro area and 6.8% nationwide―marking yet another personal best for the series.
The show’s steadily rising momentum and its “one team” underdog-to-contender arc have viewers dubbing it a youth-centric 'Hot Stove League.' Watching Hanyang Sports High awaken as a true unit has audiences misty-eyed and deeply invested.
Moments fueling that investment include the Episode 2 ender where captain Yoon Sung-jun (Kim Yo-han), who initially resisted new coach Ju Garam (Yoon Kye-sang), scores his first try in a scrimmage against Daesang High and cheekily mimics the coach’s celebration; Episode 5’s “Let’s be the miracle” moment, with the team clasping hands to cement their trust; and Episode 8’s tearful tackling drill, as Ju Garam and the boys rally to help Moon Woong (Kim Dan) confront his trauma. Each beat left viewers buzzing.
Online, fans are all in: “Bring home the trophy, kids,” “Let’s go, Hanyang!” “Championship or bust―momentum wins titles,” “It really is the youth version of 'Hot Stove League',” “Seeing them execute the plan and deliver results has me in tears,” and “Who’s coming with me to sign up for the rugby team?”
That “one team” arc lands because the 'The Winning Try' squad itself feels like a true ensemble. Direction, performances, and character work lock together, pulling viewers into the team’s growth journey.
Yoon Kye-sang, a true all-around talent, turns Ju Garam into a live-wire character―zany charm, genuine love for rugby, and fierce care for his boys―turbocharging the show’s immersion. The Hanyang players―Kim Yo-han, Kim I-joon (as Oh Young-gwang), Lee Soo-chan (So Myung-woo), Yoon Jae-chan (Do Hyung-sik), Hwang Sung-bin (Kim Ju-yang), Woo Min-kyu (Pyo Sun-ho), and Kim Dan―have built real-deal chemistry through training together, and it crackles on screen. From all-out sprints and slick passes to bone-rattling collisions and hard-won tries, their performances bottle the pulse-pounding thrill of rugby and deliver it straight to the audience.
The direction capturing those performances is earning raves, too. Summer-bright visuals and wide-open frames are easy on the eyes, while the show’s comic-book sensibility―both in character and story―gets a playful, panel-to-panel energy in the edit. Most of all, the rugby sequences clearly map the flow of play with dynamic, readable beats, helping even rugby newbies feel the sport’s appeal and get swept up in the matches.
With Yoon Kye-sang and the young cast’s committed performances, Jang Young-seok’s propulsive direction, and Im Jin-a’s character-driven writing all clicking, 'The Winning Try' is flexing real “one team” power in the ratings as well. All eyes are on whether the show can keep this miracle run going.
'The Winning Try' airs Fridays and Saturdays at 9:50 p.m. KST.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)