Japan Rugby League One 2024-25 Round Six Review

Division One

Eighteen points from flyhalf Mikiya Takamoto led Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath to their second win of the season, knocking Shizuoka Blue Revs out of the top four in the process, as the visitors powered to a 33-14 win at Yamaha Stadium yesterday.
The leading point-scorer in the competition with 80, two ahead of the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights flyhalf Kyohei Yamasawa, Takamoto has three tries amongst his tally, and has only been held to a single digit contribution once.
The Blue Revs, who had memorably upset the defending champions, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, in the previous round, led 14-13 shortly after the start of the second half, but were held scoreless for the final 35 minutes as Sungoliath scored three tries to finish the job.
Despite the absence of internationals, Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe and All Black backrower Sam Cane, Sungoliath overcame the concession of the day’s first try – a brilliant length-of-the-field effort by rising star Valynce Te Whari – to lead 13-7 at halftime.

They kept control despite Shizuoka briefly getting their noses in front after the competition’s top try-scorer, winger Malo Tuitama, bagged his ninth try from six outings, to raise local hopes.
In the end, Suntory won comfortably, scoring the final three tries, including a skilful effort by backrower Tamati Ioane who regathered a ball that bounced off his chest then his head, before regaining control and racing to the goal-line.
The win continued the Sungoliath stranglehold over Shizuoka which has seen the Fuchu-based side unbeaten from the last 15 occasions that the two sides have met.

The Blue Revs’ second defeat of the season came with added cost, as the denial of any bonus points helped Yokohama Canon Eagles and Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay jump above them on the standings.

After having to wait until the fifth round for their first win, Sungoliath are now seventh, and within striking distance of
the playoff positions.
Their next assignment is another tricky one when they head to Kansai to face a Kobelco Kobe Steelers outfit shooting for four straight wins on their home patch.
Despite the concession of an early eight-point deficit, Dave Rennie’s side had too much firepower for Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo, who were run ragged as they slumped to their heaviest defeat of the season in a 44-15 loss.
Former (Waikato) Chiefs winger Ataata Moeakiola led the way, bagging two first half tries for the home team, who finished with six, including one by Brodie Retallick.
The Kobe skipper had an interesting afternoon, being yellow carded in the first half for a professional foul, before returning to gallop 30 metres for his fifth try of the campaign, swatting away three defenders as he went.
The try saw the All Black second rower rise to the top of the standings among the competition’s try-scoring forwards.
Kubota are also on the rise, with the 2022-23 champions moving into the top four after disposing of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars 40-12, blowing the home side away with 27 points in the second half.
Winger Haruto Kida scored two of their six tries.
The competition’s breakout star during the championship-winning campaign, where he scored 16 tries, Kida was quieter last term when restricted to four, but the 25-year-old is building up momentum again, having gathered as many tries as he did in the entire 2023-24 season from his last three appearances.
But for some errant goal-kicking, which saw the Spears miss four of eight attempts in the absence of Wallaby sharpshooter Bernard Foley, the damage to Sagamihara could have been greater that the 28-point margin they conceded.
The team the Spears beat to win their maiden title, the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, also succumbed to ‘generosity’ late in their match with Urayasu D-Rocks, giving up tries in the 79th and 81st minutes to cut their winning margin to 27
in a 53-26 victory.
Now winless after their first six matches, D-Rocks continue to find the step up from Division Two challenging, and they 

were out of business by halftime at Kumagaya, swamped by four tries as the hosts romped ahead 32-5.
The Wild Knights eventually finished with seven, two of which were claimed by former Super Rugby utility back Vince Aso, while the game featured tries for both Springbok forwards on display, with Lood de Jager crossing for the league-leaders,
while backrower Jasper Wiese made it back-to-back tries for D-Rocks, having scored in his previous outing against Kobelco Kobe Steelers.

After returning from the shoulder injury, he sustained in last term’s final during Saitama’s win over Toyota Verblitz in the previous round, de Jager continued his comeback with a solid 50-minute workout, which included a try, as well as a deft back flick pass in the lead-up to the second of Aso’s scores.
The 32-year-old’s progress will be encouraging for Wild Knights coach Robbie Deans, as it will for his South African counterpart, Rassie Erasmus, whose depth in the position was tested by injuries last year.
The Springbok boss is also sure to be pleased by the form of Yokohama Canon Eagles centre Jesse Kriel, who scored his fourth try of the season, and was influential in two more, as his side edged Verblitz 24-20 at Aichi.
The 30-year-old’s score helped the Eagles to a 14-7 halftime lead, and while the hosts fought hard, they couldn’t land the decisive blow, despite being within try-scoring range for a scoreless final 12 minutes of the contest.
Marking up against his experienced test opponent, code hopping centre Joseph Manu found the going tough, in what was only his sixth game of rugby union since ending his association with the Sydney Roosters in rugby league.
Today’s only match saw Brave Lupus set the scene perfectly for next weekend’s grand final rematch against Saitama, after Todd Blackadder’s men recorded a comfortable 35-12 win over Mie Honda Heat at Suzuka Gardens.

Despite being held to a 7-5 halftime lead after an even first period, Brave Lupus piled on the pressure after the break, with two tries in four minutes putting paid to Honda’s hopes of avoiding a fourth consecutive defeat.
All Black backrower Shannon Frizell, who scored nine tries in his maiden season in Japan last term, picked up his third of the title-defence to get the scoreboard moving, while the hero of the grand final, Brave Blossoms winger Jone Naikabula, also contributed among the defending champions’ four second half tries.
Impressive fullback Takuro Matsunaga, who is handling the goal-kicking ahead of All Black Richie Mo’unga this term, showed why as he converted all five of Toshiba’s tries, the first of which he scored himself, with the 15-point haul moving  him to third on the individual rankings for point’s scored.

Divisions Two & Three

After being second from bottom a week ago, Hanazono Kintetsu Liners are up to third in Division Two following a 31-19 win over NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu today.
The visitors were led to victory by the boot of former NSW Waratahs pivot Will Harrison who kicked five out of six for 15 points, proving difference after the two sides both scored three tries.
Starting ahead of veteran Wallaby Quade Cooper, the 25-year-old kept the scoreboard ticking over for Hanazono, who led 8-0 at halftime and blew out to 31-7 with seven minutes to play before two late tries salvaged some respectability,
albeit not a bonus point, for Tokatsu.
The win added to last weekend’s come-from-behind 33-30 victory over Kamaishi Seawaves to drive the Liners up the rankings after they kicked off the campaign with two defeats in their first three outings.
Having finally snapped a six-game losing streak that carried over from last term in round two of this year’s competition, the Green Rockets have run into trouble again and have now won just two of their last eight.
Although their most recent defeat has dropped them just one place on the point’s table, the two sides immediately below them both have a game in hand.
Two tries by veteran ex-All Black Augustine Pulu helped Hino Red Dolphins get off the mark yesterday, with Wallaby second rower Rory Arnold also a try-scorer as their side held off a late rally from the Seawaves to prevail 46-35 at Tokyo’s AGF Field.

The Red Dolphins, who climbed off the bottom of the table with their first win of the season, out-scored the Seawaves six-tries-to-five, with centre Sora Ouchi contributing one of them amongst a 21-point haul.
Former (Otago) Highlanders flyhalf Mitchell Hunt scored his third try in as many weeks although his 15-point contribution was not enough to get Kamaishi home.
Former Super Rugby man Chase Tiatia continues his try-scoring feast in Division Three, grabbing his seventh of the season as Sayama Secom Rugguts swamped Yakalt Levins Toda 36-6 today to maintain their grip on second place.

The 29-year-old’s try, which came in the 80th minute, sees him continue to head the try-scoring rankings in the section.
While Sayama has made a fine start to their maiden s ason in the league, things are starting to go south for fellow newcomers Toda, who have dropped to second last on the standings, with three losses on the bounce after they had
opened encouragingly by recording back-to-back wins. Despite a slow start to their campaign, Kurita Water Gush Akishima are now third after crushing Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions 45-19 to complete back-to-back wins.