Japan Rugby League One: Round Seven Review

Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights remain top of the table after today’s Grand Final replay produced another thriller in Japan Rugby League One, with the playing through champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and their runners up from last term, unable to be separated after a compelling 28-28 draw.
Following a dominant first half where the Wild Knights, despite playing into a strong wind, probably should have been further in front than their 16-7 advantage, the game came alive when Brave Lupus unexpectedly struck in the 10th minute after the re-start, having weathered concerted pressure since the game resumed.

All Black centre Seta Tamanivalu, who was to be the central figure in one of the afternoon’s most controversial moments, scored after Richie Mo’unga had given his side rare field position, with the try changing the whole dynamic in the contest.
The All Black flyhalf had scored in the first half, and he put his side on the front foot by playing a leading hand in two of his side’s three tries in the second half, although it was the one Brave Lupus were not awarded that was one of the game’s biggest talking points.

Saitama had a late try, which would have won them last season’s decider, chalked off after a line ball call by the Television Match Official on a forward pass. This time, it was Brave Lupus who were denied, with winger Jone Naikabula called back, after Tamanivalu led with his forearm in a collision with Wild Knights opposite Dylan Riley, prior to releasing his teammate for the dash to the tryline.
The man-of-the-match in the final, Naikabula did add his name to the scoresheet before the end, with his try coming just three minutes after fellow winger Yuto Mori – also a try-scorer on that occasion – had touched down to close the margin to two points.

Despite being disrupted by the first half loss of flyhalf Kyohei Yamasawa to injury, which saw Springbok midfielder Damien de Allende forced to deputise in the playmaking role, the Wild Knights tied the game when Koki Takeyama – another of last year’s grand final try-scorers – bagged his second try of the afternoon five minutes before the end.
The winger and substitute goal-kicker couldn’t convert from the sideline and while both sides had chances in the frantic finish that ensued, the stalemate remained, as doesthe status quo on the point’s table, with Saitama ahead by five points.

Kobe outscored their visitors by five-tries-to-four, including one from Gatland, but the New Zealander was only able to convert two of them, while his Sungoliath counterpart Mikiya Takamoto kicked five out of six, as this season’s leading points gatherer provided the point of difference at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium. Suntory, who were looking for their sixth straight success against the 2018 champions, built their victory on a dominant first 45 minutes in which three tries – including one by Queenslander Harry Hockings – established a 24-5 advantage.

While Kobe and former (Waikato) Chiefs winger Ataata Moeakiola – who with seven tries and six ‘assists’ has been involved in more tries so far than any other player in the league – began the fightback, the Steelers were always chasing, coming up short despite twice closing to within a converted try, including with four minutes remaining when the margin was cut to two after scrumhalf Daiki Nakajima crossed for the final scoring play of the game. The win continued Sungoliath’s steady rise after they opened the season with consecutive defeats. Kosei Ono’s men are now unbeaten in their last five and are just one point behind six-placed Kobe on the championship ladder, as they head into Saturday’s keenly anticipated Fuchu derby against their western Tokyo rivals, Brave Lupus.

Today’s other match was also a nerve tester, with the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars and Toyota Verblitz camps being kept on edge to the finish, as the former maintained their four-point advantage through a scoreless final 12 minutes, after having conceded 33 points in the previous half-an-hour of playing time. Spectators at Sagamihara Gion Stadium would have struggled to believe they were in for such a tense finale when the home side romped to a 41-7 lead just before halftime, running riot as they scored six tries, the last of which registered Kurt-lee Arendse’s fifth of the season.

The Springbok winger’s try, alongside the two scored by Samoan centre Matt Vaega, appeared to have helped to settle the issue, but Verblitz had other ideas, with former National Rugby League star Joseph Manu scoring twice in seven minutes after halftime to inject spice into the remainder of the contest. Further tries by Brave Blossoms winger Siosaia Fifita and backrower Akito Okui edged Verblitz closer, but while Toyota
had the momentum when they closed to within four points, the Dynaboars defence stiffened and they successfully wound down the clock, leap-frogging their opponents on the standings in the process.

Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay closed the gap on the competition leaders after a come-from-behind 30-22 win over Yokohama Canon Eagles that stirred memories of last season’s agonizing finish for the home side, when they had conceded two converted tries in the last three minutes to lose by three points. While yesterday’s defeat was not quite as traumatic, the Eagles did score three of the game’s first four tries and would
have entertained thoughts of victory when they led 19-8 after 55 minutes.

But, as with the previous meeting, they could not hold on, with the Spears finding their groove to run down the lead and deny the Eagles a fifth straight win; something they were bidding to achieve for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Kubota fullback Halatoa Vailea was the individual star of the game, scoring twice in the second half to complete a hattrick as part of his 19-point haul for the day.The Spears were without Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley for a second week running, and the continued absence of his ex-Australian teammate Israel Folau failed to prevent former Scotland test skipper Greig Laidlaw from enjoying his maiden success as a head coach, after Urayasu D-Rocks beat Mie Honda Heat 31-26 at downtown Tokyo’s, Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium.

D-Rocks’ first win of the season, and first in Division One, was the eighth in succession achieved by Urayasu – and its forerunner Shining Arcs – against Heat, with the success set up by a strong first half which saw the home side establish a 21-5 lead. While Mie collected a bonus point after a late scoring flurry, salvaging the consolation when Wallaby fullback Tom Banks crossed in the 82nd minute, two tries in the final 10 minutes couldn’t hide a performance down on the standards coach Kieran Crowley and skipper Pablo Matera had set for their charges during the back-to-back wins that opened the season. Honda have now slumped to five straight defeats. D-Rocks’ win didn’t see them escape the Division One basement, but it did close the gap to one log point on Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo who have now also lost five-in-a-row after falling 32-24 against Shizuoka Blue Revs at Fukushima.

Having failed to hold onto a halftime lead in three of their previous five defeats, this time the Black Rams didn’t make it to the midpoint in front, but only because they conceded twice in the final 10 minutes of the first half, after tries from ex-Wallaby backrower Liam Gill and centre Yuki Ikeda had set up a 14-5 advantage. The Shizuoka recovery was predictably led by winger Malo Tuitama, with the season’s leading individual try-scorer dotting
down for the 10th time to give his side the lead; it being the second of two tries in a six-minute burst that allowed the Blue Revs to sneak ahead by four at the break.

While Tabai Matson’s men fought hard in the second period, the concession of tries in the 56th and 69th minutes made the task too great, with a try by the home side’s second rower Michael Stolberg four minutes from the end not enough to rescue a bonus point. An off day with the boot from last season’s leading point-scorer, Kobelco Kobe Steelers flyhalf Bryn Gatland, proved costly for the Kansai-based outfit, as the former (Otago) Highlanders and (Waikato) Chiefs Super Rugby performer missed a game-tying 76th minute conversion in his side’s 31-29 defeat by Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.

Division Two

In Division Two, an injury time try by Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex hooker Hiroki Murakawa allowed his side to cause the biggest upset to date in the section after they beat Red Hurricanes Osaka 27-20 in a thrilling finish today. Both sides scored two tries, with former Bath second-rower Elliott Stooke on the board for the Red Hurricanes, but the home side conceded a penalty try which cost them the halftime lead, with Murakawa’s score subsequently costing them their unbeaten record, as victory took Voltex up to third on the standings.

The bonus point the Red Hurricanes secured retained their position at the top-of-the-table, but the margin has been whittled down to one after Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi overran Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks 47-15 yesterday. Led by two tries from each of winger Hiroaki Saito and ex-Brave Blossoms backrower Isileli Manu, the Shuttles overcame the loss of fullback Josua Kerevi to a red card for dangerous play early in the second half to crush their rivals. This was despite ex-All Black and Samoa flyhalf Lima Sopoaga’s first try of the season closing the Blue Sharks to within four points, and still up against 14 men, as they entered the last quarter of the game. Instead of kicking on, the Blue Sharks’ momentum fizzled out, with the Shuttles piling on four further tries to claim aconvincing bonus-point victory. Third-from-bottom Shimizu are now winless since December 28.

Japan Rugby League One – Round Seven Results

Division One

Saturday February 8
Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath 31, Kobelco Kobe Steelers 29; at Hyogo
Shizuoka Blue Revs 32, Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo 24; at Fukushima
Urayasu D-Rocks 31, Mie Honda Heat 26; at Tokyo
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay 30, Yokohama Canon Eagle 22; at Kanagawa
Sunday February 9
Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights 28, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 28; at Saitama
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars 44, Toyota Verblitz 40; at Sagamihara
Division Two

Saturday February 8
Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi 47, Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks 15; at Tokyo
Sunday February 9
Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex 27, Red Hurricanes Osaka 20; at Osaka