Japan Rugby League One (Round Eleven) Review

Two years ago, Kwagga Smith’s Shizuoka Blue Revs became the first team to beat Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights in the regular season of Japan Rugby League One. Yesterday, the Springbok backrower’s side did it again. In handing the inaugural champions just their second on-field defeat in 57 regular season matches, the Blue Revs completed a double over the top two sides in the league, with their 22-17 success against the Wild Knights joining the 34-28 defeat they inflicted on Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in January.

Although the league’s leading point-scorer Kyohei Yamasawa scored all his side’s points, including the Wild Knights only try six minutes before the end, the Blue Revs were not to be denied as they again proved kryptonite for the competition’s inaugural champions. Saitama were not helped by the loss of Springbok midfielder Damien de Allende to a finger dislocation, although they did gain some consolation from the sight of Wallaby winger Marika Koroibete running freely in his first outing since last year’s Bledisloe Cup series, on return after a significant hand injury of his own.

While they still trail on the league ladder by three points, Brave Lupus joined the Wild Knights on nine wins for the season after their fifth straight success against Toyota Verblitz, 33-22 at Aichi’s Toyota Stadium.
Led by two tries from All Black flyhalf Richie Mo’unga which bookended their scoring, Brave Lupus overcame two yellow cards, and a second half comeback from Verblitz, to allow their coach Todd Blackadder to continue his domination of his former mentor with Canterbury in New Zealand’s national provincial championship, Steve Hansen. Tries either side of halftime by ex-Wallaby skipper Michael Hooper and code-hopping outside back Joseph Manu – the latter’s sixth of his debut season in rugby union – brought Toyota back to life after they had trailed 21-3, but although they closed to within four points in the final 10 minutes, Mo’unga’s second try a minute from time settled the issue.

Toyota dropped back into the bottom two and the Replacement Battle promotion/relegation series positions because of their eighth defeat of the season, after Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars’ upset 34-22 win over Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath at Kyoto in today’s only Division One fixture. The Dynaboars were led to their fourth – and best – win of the season so far by centre Matt Vaega, with the Kelston Boys
High School (Auckland) product scoring a hattrick on an unforgettable day for the 30-year-old which produced 24 points. Not even a third try of the season from Springbok star Cheslin Kolbe – who also featured test loose forwards Sam Cane and Sean McMahon – could save Sungoliath, who missed the chance to draw level with sixth-placed Yokohama on the standings.

There were celebrations at Setagaya after Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo snapped a five-game losing streak in the ‘Photocopy Derby’ by taking down Yokohama Canon Eagles 27-20 at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium. Led by All Black TJ Perenara, who took the bragging rights over his Springbok and Yokohama counterpart Faf de Klerk, the Black Rams were able to capitalise on the 42nd minute dismissal of Eagles winger Kippei Ishida for dangerous play. 9-7 ahead when the Eagles were reduced to 14 men, the Black Rams had extended their advantage to 10 points by the time Yokohama wasrestored to a full complement 20 minutes later, and although a try by ex-Jersey Reds fullback Brendan Owen did reduce the gap to three, Ricoh quickly responded with the final try of the afternoon from backrower Brodie McCurran to seal the deal.

Kobelco Kobe Steelers had a much easier time of it against Mie Honda Heat, overwhelming their visitors with seven tries in a 47-5 romp.
Heat have never beaten Kobe in the top echelon of Japanese rugby, and it quickly became apparent that this was not about to change as the home side raced to a 26-0 advantage just before halftime.
Ex-(Auckland) Blues second rower Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, fellow New Zealand midfield back Michael Little, and fullback Kanta Matsunaga each scored twice, with the latter taking his tally for the season to eight, joining former (Waikato) Chiefs winger Ataata Moekiola as the team’s leading try-scorer.

Friday night saw bottom-placed Urayasu D-Rocks sink further into the mire after a dramatic collapse saw them pipped 33-22 by Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 14,000 in downtown Tokyo.
Greig Laidaw’s team, who had lost Springbok backrower Jasper Wiese to injury before the game, overcame that blow to produce some of their best rugby of the season in the first half, kicking on after Wallaby midfielder Samu Kerevi had muscled his way over to open the scoring in the 12th minute.
By halftime, D-Rocks were in front 15-0, which they extended to 22-0 shortly after the resumption when scrumhalf Ren Iinuma picked off an errant inside ball from Bernard Foley and raced 60 metres to score for the second week in a row.
The game’s turning point came when Tom Parsons was yellow carded for a professional foul just moments after taking the field, playing the ball on the ground during the movement that led to David Bulbring posting the Spears’ second try.
By the time the ex-(Wellington) Hurricanes and Urayasu second rower returned, the South African duo of hooker and man-of-the-match Malcolm Marx and centre Rikus Pretoria had both also scored, with the tries draining the confidence of D-Rocks, who wound up conceding 33 points in the final 35 minutes, after having held their opponents scoreless in the previous 45.