Official Preview: Japan Rugby League One 2024-25, Round Seven

Last year’s finaliststhrowing another party, and a bout between two of the major contenders who would be king, highlight
this weekend’s seventh round of Japan Rugby League One, as the race for the title starts getting serious.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, who meet on Sunday at Kumagaya, laid on an epic final
last term.

That game was decided on a heartbreaking 80th minute TMO call against the retiring Japanese and Wild Knights legend
Shota Horie, which rubbed out what would have been the winning try, handing Brave Lupus a 24-20 win and a sixth
national title.

Such is the close historical rivalry between the teams, this tied the Wild Knights for the most since a nationwide league
format began in Japan in 2003, with Saitama having won two of theirs after close wins over Brave Lupus in the deciders.
The Wild Knights 27-26 win in the 2015-16 championship game contributed to a run of nine-straight victories against
Brave Lupus until the Fuchu-based outfit finally stopped the rot in last year’s tournament finale.
This time, as almost always, Saitama enters the contest unbeaten, having lost just one regular season game in the four
years since Japan Rugby League One began.
Brave Lupus have been victims three times during that run although – as with the final – last year’s regular season tie was
in doubt until the final minute, when the Wild Knights scored a converted try to finalise a deceptive 36-24 scoreline.
Prior to an upset defeat at Shizuoka three weeks ago, Brave Lupus had gone 13 matches without defeat, including last
year’s final, but Sunday’s comfortable 23-point win over Mie Honda Heat has the engine purring again, and Todd
Blackadder’s men are in good shape as they head to the league’s toughest venue.

Although the Wild Knights are six-from-six, we are yet to see Wallaby winger Marika Koroibete due to injury, while
Springbok second-rower Lood de Jager is only two games back, after banging up his shoulder in the final.
The biggest focus at Saitama has been on 26-year-old flyhalf Kyohei Yamasawa who, standing in for his brother Takuya,
has slotted into the role seamlessly.
Prior to this season, the younger of the Yamasawa boys had appeared in the league just 16 times, mostly as a replacement.
He has proved a more than able substitute, scoring 78 points from six outings to rank just below Tokyo Suntory
Sungoliath’s Mikiya Takamoto on the individual point-scoring table.
Lining up against the star All Black flyhalf Richie Mo’unga is his biggest test yet.
Title-aspirants Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay and Yokohama Canon Eagles are also going to be tested when they
collide at Kanagawa on Saturday.
The fourth-placed Spears are still without Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley, whose absence was felt during last weekend’s
win, which was achieved comfortably despite a lowly 50 percent return off the boot.
They have lost just once, and in dramatic fashion when they missed late goalkicking chances in a two-point loss to the
Wild Knights, while the up-tempo Eagles have won four-straight since a sluggish start which saw them drop their opening
two matches.

While injuries to the star players – most notably hooker and talisman Malcolm Marx – ruined the Spears’ title defence
last term, the Eagles also suffered, losing star Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk for the bulk of the season.
Central to the fast-paced attacking style on which Canon thrive, de Klerk is hungry, as evidenced by the excellence of his
performance to date, where he has seemingly been at the centre of everything the Eagles have achieved.
The memories of last year’s corresponding clash may still haunt Yokohama after they conceded two converted tries in the
last three minutes to lose a game that should have been in the bag when they led 26-15 with just 180 seconds to go!
Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo are also heading for ‘haunted house’ territory, with last week’s heavy defeat at Kobe reinforcing
the opportunities they had already missed, having conceded three of their games after leading at the mid-point.

While only two teams face The Replacement Battle series this year, instead of three, the Black Rams are currently 11th,
and at risk of being cut adrift if they can’t start winning, which won’t be easy when they host a Shizuoka Blue Revs side
that will have been stung by last weekend’s second defeat of the season.
It was perhaps not so much the defeat itself, but it’s manner, as Sungoliath – who had won just once to that point –
exercised total control to overpower the Blue Revs in the second half, after the home side had briefly claimed the lead
straight after the break.
The Blue Revs have subsequently introduced (Golden) Lions inside back utility Sanele Nohamba to their roster, with the
talented South African set to bolster Shizuoka in two areas, both at scrumhalf where they had yet to replace Maori All
Black Bryn Hall, as well as increasing their goal-kicking options.
Having just joined the squad, Nohama won’t suit up on Saturday, while his countryman, Blue Revs skipper Kwagga Smith,
will also miss the game, with All Black Charles Piutau taking over as captain.
Having won twice since their draws with Toyota Verblitz and Kubota, Sungoliath head to Kansai in a buoyant mood, but
also wary of a Steelers side that is chasing four consecutive home wins for the first time in three years.
The visitors have been bolstered by the return of Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe, who will start on the bench after missing
last week, although ex-All Blacks skipper and backrower Sam Cane remains sidelined.
Steelers coach Dave Rennie is starting hooker George Turner this week, having largely used the Scotland international as
a replacement since he arrived in Japan.
While Kobe and Suntory are on an upward trajectory, sixth and seventh respectively, Mie Honda Heat are going the other
way, with four consecutive defeats, which will offer bottom side Urayasu D-Rocks – who are still without superstar Israel
Folau – some hope for Saturday’s visit of the Pablo Matera-captained outfit.
Kieran Crowley’s side fell away after holding Brave Lupus to a two-point lead at halftime last time but having faced the
three sides to have won the league in their four most recent fixtures – which were all defeats – the ex-Italy coach will be
viewing the upcoming games against Urayasu on Saturday, and the Dynaboars the following week, as a chance to get
their campaign back on track.
Toyota Verblitz will also be eying up slightly ‘easier’ prey as they head to Sagamihara on Sunday, having lost to three of

the current top four during a tough start to the season.
Ex-Wallaby skipper Michael Hooper, who has come out of retirement to help after Verblitz lost Springbok Pieter du Toit,
may be involved as he returns to the team he made 10 appearances for in the final season of Top League in 2021.