Big in Japan | Round 1 review

A dramatic opening weekend of Japan Rugby League One saw three of the six matches in Division One decided in injury
time, including today’s game in Tokyo which saw Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay steal a memorable 30-27 win at the
expense of Toyota Verblitz, after having trailed for much of the contest.

Despite out-scoring their rivals five-tries-to-three, it took until the 75th minute for the ex-Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley
to find the posts, finally nailing the conversion of second rower Merwe Olivier’s try, which drew the 2022-23 champions
level, 27-27.

While their off-season signing from Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, Rikiya Matsuda, was faultless off the tee, and high-
profile rugby league convert Joseph Manu marked his first game of professional rugby union with a try, it proved in vain

as Foley nailed an 83rd minute dropped goal to seal the deal.
The 30-27 defeat represented a disappointing start for Steve Hansen and reunited assistant Ian Foster’s side, after another
off-season of star recruitment.

Defending champions, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, needed all those qualities at Nissan Stadium, as they came from behind
to edge Yokohama Canon Eagles, 28-21.

The home side led 16-7 at halftime, with returning Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk a try-scorer, but they couldn’t sustain
the momentum as Todd Blackadder’s side fought back with three second half tries, including one each from All Blacks,
flyhalf Richie Mo’unga and backrower Shannon Frizell.
Today’s third game in Division One saw Urayasu D-Rocks demolished in the second half by the improving Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars, who won on the opening weekend for the second year running, having beaten
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners in the corresponding match last year.

The Dynaboars trailed 11-9 at halftime but put their newly promoted opponents away in the second half with four tries,
including one by on debut Springbok winger Kurt-lee Arendse.
The opening day of the league yesterday saw Mie Honda Heat – who won just once in the grade last season – and Shizuoka
Blue Revs, both make winning starts in dramatic finishes.

Heat had ex-Saracens flyhalf Manu Vunipola to thank for their 23-21 win over Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo, after the former
England age-grade representative goaled an 81st minute penalty to give his side the lead for the first time in the match.
Two tries on his club debut by ex-Wallaby flanker Liam Gill had the Black Rams in the ascendency for much of the contest
but tries by winger Larry Sulunga – a teammate of Gills’ at Urayasu last year – and ex-Los Pumas skipper Pablo Matera
closed the home side to within a point, before Vunipola capped his Japanese debut by delivering in the game’s biggest
moment.

Blue Revs, who won just five times last term while finishing eighth, prevailed 15-13 in Suzuka after a stormy finish at
home to Kobelco Kobe Steelers, with the visitors ending with 13-men after former (Auckland) Blues second rower Gerard
Cowley-tuoiti and ex-All Black midfielder Ngane Laumape were both ejected from the game by red and yellow cards
respectively.
Dave Rennie’s men led 13-3 at halftime after on debut Scotland hooker George Turner and skipper and ex-All Black second
rower Brodie Retallick had both scored tries, rumbling over from close range.
The scoreline hadn’t changed when Cowley-tuioti departed, 18 minutes before the finish, but the Blue Revs capitalised
immediately, with the former Waikato winger from New Zealand’s national provincial championship, Valynce Te Whare –
who had come off the bench only two minutes earlier – hitting a short ball at pace to mark his first touch in Japan Rugby
League One with a try.
This set up a frantic finish, but Kobe looked set to cling on before Laumape’s exit, which allowed Shizuoka’s replacement
backrower, Fiji-born Vueti Tupou, to score two minutes later.
Veteran fullback Sam Greene held his nerve to convert from near the posts, clinching a two-point win over an opponent
who had hammered the Blue Revs 63-19 in April when the two sides last met.
There was no such drama at Tokyo’s Ajinomoto as the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights made it six-wins-in-a-row against
Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, cruising to a 33-12 success.

The visitors, who made it 49 wins from 55 regular season matches in the league, established a 13-0 halftime advantage
following two tries from Brave Blossoms winger Tomoki Osada, and reinforced their dominance when backrowers Jack
Cornelsen and Lachlan Boshier scored within five second half minutes after centre ex-Crusaders centre Isaiah Punivai had
finally got Sungoliath on the board with their first try of the campaign.
While a further try to Sungoliath by the former Queensland Reds second rower Harry Hockings closed the gap to 25-12
entering the last 15 minutes, ex-(Wellington) Hurricanes centre Vince Aso scored the Wild Knights’ fifth try of the
afternoon to complete a perfect start to the season for last term’s finalists.