IG Rookie: "We always performed rather subpar versus RNG and would lose important matches against them... Facing them would always give that strong urge to win."

Mar 24, 2019

On the 23rd of March (CST), Invictus Gaming defeated RNG 2:1 in the 2019 LPL Spring and advanced to 2nd place.

It was one of the most anticipated matchups in the LPL, and as expected, the IG and RNG players displayed a highly competitive match. With both teams sharing a win each, the series went to set 3. At first, RNG seemed to be securing a rather easy win with them having quite a big early-game advantage. However, the IG players managed to gain back the advantage starting from a huge teamfight victory near the Rift Herald. After gaining momentum, IG started to snowball throughout the match and defeated their traditional rivals. With TOP losing against EDG earlier that day, IG advanced to 2nd place in the 2019 LPL Spring standings.

After the series, the IG crew joined the press room for a post-match interview.

Q (TheShy): You went 1 vs 3 at top during the first game but you managed to survive and killed all 3 with the help of Rookie. What happened at then? How would you grade your performance today?

TheShy: I was confident that I’d be able to win in that situation. I felt that my performance was better than what I expected so I'd give a 50 out of 100

Q (Rookie): How does it feel like being able to win against RNG at their home turf?

Rookie: It doesn't really matter whether it's a win in their home turf or not cause our match against RNG would still be one of the most anticipated matches either way. We always performed rather subpar versus RNG and would lose important matches against them. Nevertheless, facing them is still a bit nerve-racking and it would always give that strong urge to win. I’ve been practicing really hard in order to perform better and to put on a good show for everyone. I was in a rather good mood today too, so personally, I think I performed okay.

Q (JackeyLove): RNG played more towards bot side jungle during the third game and constantly ganked at bot. How did you feel at that time and how did you cope with the situation?

JackeyLove: I think I was mentally alright. Their ganks were possible since their ward placing near the red buff was really good. However, they made a mistake which saved me in the end. Overall, the situation itself was manageable for me.

Q (TheShy): Kennen slaying Kalista at mid was one of the turning points of game 3 today. How was the decision making like at that time?

TheShy: I was the only one that had enough vision and could see what others couldn’t at that time. We also forced Uzi to use his Cleanse, so according to all the information provided by the team, we were confident to kill them.

Q (Rookie): One of your old teammates, Zz1tai has come back to the competitive scene today. Is there anything you’d like to say to him?

Rookie: I heard about his return and that he’d be playing today. We usually bump into each other when I go out to eat so it was pretty normal seeing him at the stadium... I just wanted to laugh. (laughs)

Q (TheShy): You performed so well at top with Sylas during the first game and managed to escape from such a close death situation. What went through your mind at that time?

TheShy: We already won all our lanes at that time so we didn’t have to say much. My teammates were just really happy about it.

Q (Coach Kim Garam): Why did you choose Vladimir and Zoe to counter Ryze and Syndra’s pressure in lane during game 2?

Coach Kim Garam: Although we prepared a lot of strategies to play against AmazingJ, we weren't that sure about Zz1tai’s champion pool. Picking Vladimir was a mistake that I made...

Q: (to coach Kim Garam) What were your thoughts after knowing that your debut would be against RNG? And, how does it feel to secure your first win in the LPL?

Coach Kim Garam: RNG vs IG is one of the most anticipated matches in LPL and it was one of the matches that we had to win. That's why I was quite stressed and nervous about the matchup. Since I was pretty much stressed out before this match, at one point, I couldn't sleep more than 5 hours a day.

Q (Rookie): Your team was on a big disadvantage in the early game of game 3. However, you guys managed to win a teamfight near the Rift Herald and turned the tables. What kind of calls did you make with your teammates before winning that fight?

Rookie: We were at a disadvantage at that time so all I could think of was 'how I can turn the things to our favor'. At that time, only TheShy and I had some advantage so we decided to initiate a fight where we could turn things around after seeing the opponent Galio on a very weird position; 4 of our opponents were separated so we used that for our advantage. Without that small mistake from RNG, it would have been pretty hard for us and might have lost that game.

Q (TheShy): During the second game at top, Zz1tai’s Ryze took down 5 layers of turret plating and was ahead of you in levels. Despite that, your Vladimir managed to dodge his skills and killed him.

TheShy: Ryze actually had the upper hand and Vladimir would have never won him at that time but he made a mistake. I used it to my advantage and tried to kill him.