Japan Rugby League One 2024-25 Round Ten Review

Division One

An outstanding individual performance by Springbok inside centre Damien de Allende led Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights
to a gutsy 46-32 win over Kobelco Kobe Steelers at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium today, extending their lead at the top of the
standings to six points heading into the second bye weekend of the Japan Rugby League One season.
The 87-cap test veteran was a colossus in the Wild Knights midfield, scoring two tries while setting up another, as the
home side overcame a string of injuries, a 12-point deficit, as well as a gallant opponent to secure one of the most
impressive wins of their to date unbeaten season.
After losing de Allende’s regular midfield partner and Brave Blossoms international Dylan Riley before kick-off, the Wild
Knights suffered further battle damage when backrower Lachlan Boshier – the league’s leading turnover specialist –
limped off after half-an-hour, while replacement fullback Tom Parton later left due to a head knock.
They appeared in trouble after conceding tries either side of halftime, while fullback Ryuji Noguchi was in the sinbin,
which allowed Kobe to stretch out to a 12-point advantage with 30 minutes to play, having the home side seemingly at
their mercy.
The balance of power didn’t remain in their favour for long, with de Allende igniting the comeback when he scored after
Kobe were slow to react to a quickly taken tap penalty just out from their goal-line, before the 33-year-old then set up
the ex-(Wellington) Hurricanes winger Vince Aso three minutes later, with the New Zealander’s six try of the season
wresting the lead back for his side.
Muscular backrower Ben Gunter, who was another of Saitama’s best performers, rampaged over three minutes later, to
complete a three-try burst in just six minutes that all but finished Kobe off, handing the Wild Knights’ mentor and former
Australia coach Robbie Deans the spoils against his fellow ex-Wallaby boss, Dave Rennie.

The visitors, who remarkably haven’t beaten the Wild Knights in 19 attempts since 2003, were cruelly denied even a
bonus point when flyhalf Kyohei Yamasawa crossed in added time, completing a seven-to-four try-scoring margin, which
gave the home side an extra point for out-scoring their opponents by three tries.
While defeat hasn’t cost the Steelers their place among the playoffs positions, they have dropped a place to sixth, after
the sure boot of Brave Blossoms veteran Yu Tamura guided Yokohama Eagles to an invaluable 33-22 win over Tokyo
Suntory Sungoliath.
Both sides scored three tries, but the 36-year-old landed seven from seven, to finish with 18 points, as Yokohama ended
a three-game winless run, with Springbok centre Jesse Kriel and the widely travelled South African fullback Brendan
Owens accounting for two of the Eagles’ tries.
Shizuoka Blue Revs rebounded from last week’s heavy defeat in emphatic style, outclassing Mie Honda Heat 44-14 in
today’s third match at Yamaha Stadium.
The Blue Revs quickly put the memory of their 48-point drubbing by Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay to bed, running
in four first half tries – two by South African-born winger Sylvian Mahuza – to take command 32-7, which was a lead Heat
never threatened, despite the home side at one point being reduced to 13 men after both second rower Murray Douglas
and flyhalf Sam Greene were shown yellow cards.
Honda skipper Pablo Matera scored shortly after Greene’s banishment, but his side was unable to add further to their
tally, as Shizuoka took five points from the game to consolidate their hold on a place in the top four.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo remain second, importantly extending the gap between themselves and third-placed Kubota
to four points after emerging 31-27 winners in yesterday’s dogfight between the well-matched teams at Shiranami
Stadium.

The defending champions scored first via flyhalf Richie Mo’unga, who made amends for butchering a certain try off the
opening play of the game, when the All Black hit a perfectly timed pass from international teammate Shannon Frizell
close to the goal-line.
Frizell himself had a try ruled out for obstruction, before a follow up score by Toshiba’s Brave Blossoms hooker Mamoru
Harada, set up by a long cut out pass by Mo’unga, made it 12-0, although Brave Lupus couldn’t shake the Spears, who
closed to within two points at the break.

While Toshiba opened the second half scoring, tries by fullback Halatoa Vailea and winger Haruto Kida saw the Spears
take the lead, before two tries in four minutes – one by winger Yuto Mori for Brave Lupus, with the reply by the Spears’
Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx – saw the lead twice change hands.
Both tries were set up by the respective flyhalves, with Mo’unga providing a sumptuous wide pass to create the space
for Mori on the wing, while his ex-Wallaby counterpart Bernard Foley cleverly chipped over the advancing defence, before

regathering and likewise supplying a rampaging Marx a bullet-like pass that cleared the South Africans’ run to the goal-
line.

Foley had earlier been sanctioned for Kubota’s frequent infringements, but it was the yellow card issued to scrumhalf
Bryn Hall for a dangerous tackle on his former (Canterbury) Crusaders teammate Mo’unga entering the final 10 minutes
proved crucial.
Brave Lupus winger Jone Naikabula, who himself had been sin-binned in the first half for a professional foul, made the
most of the extra space on the edge to bag his league-leading 11th try within a minute of the ex-Maori All Blacks’
departure, to get his side over the line.
Yellow cards were a central player at Fukushima too, with both sides having two players sent to the sidelines, as Toyota
Verblitz grabbed a valuable 36-31 win over Urayasu D-Rocks to climb out of the relegation zone.
Most of the damage to D-Rocks was done in the opening period as Steve Hansen’s men charged to a 21-0 lead in the first
11 minutes, having set the tone in the opening play when ex-(Otago) Highlanders second rower Josh Dickson scored.
A penalty try nine minutes into the second half extended the gap to 28 points, and there was no way back for the league’s
bottom place side, despite a valiant effort as Verblitz suffered a dramatic defensive wobble between the 13th and 18th
minute when they let in three tries.
Two of these were scored by scrumhalf Ren Iinuma, with the first coming after a powerful bust by Springbok backrower
Jasper Wiese that was continued by Wallaby midfielder Samu Kerevi.
Although the latest example of Toyota’s defensive frailties will concern Hansen and his assistant Ian Foster, they were able
to hold on for just their second win of the season, despite conceding 31 of the game’s final 39 points.
This included an 80th minute penalty goal from ex-(Auckland) Blues flyhalf Otere Black which rescued Urayasu a bonus point, although Greig Laidlaw’s men have now been cut adrift on the ladder, needing to make up eight points if they are to avoid the post-season promotion/relegation lottery.
The prospect of being required for that series is becoming more likely for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara
Dynaboars, whose splendid opening to the season is fast becoming a distant memory following their fifth loss from the
last six appearances after yesterday’s 22-7 defeat by Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo.
Despite being held scoreless in the second half, during which All Black scrumhalf TJ Perenara had a try disallowed, the
Black Rams had already established their winning break, which would have been even greater than the 22 points they
accumulated, had they managed to convert more than one of their four first half tries.
The quartet proved enough for a bonus point, as the Dynaboars managed just one in reply, dropping Glenn Delaney’s side
two places on the standings and into the relegation zone for the first time.
Former Australian Under-20s winger Semisi Tupou has played a big role in the Black Rams’ resurgence – in which they
have collected 11 points from the last three games – having contributed tries in each of those matches.

Division Two

Tries by each of their internationals, Wallabies Will Genia and Quade Cooper, as well as All Black Akira Ioane, didn’t prove
enough for Hanazono Kintetsu Liners who were gunned down 36-29 by a superb Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks at Osaka’s
Hanazono Stadium yesterday.
Expertly marshalled by All Black flyhalf Lima Sopoaga, the Blue Sharks recorded their third victory of the campaign – and
their first against a side ranked above them on the point’s table – by scoring two tries in the last six minutes to snatch the
win.

Cooper had Kintetsu on course for a fourth consecutive win when he scored his side’s second try of the second half in the
58th minute, following on for Ioane’s 47th minute score, which had allowed the Liners to overturn a three-point halftime
deficit to push their noses in front by seven.
But they were unable to land the killer blow, with the Blue Sharks hammering away until Samoa international backrower
Murphy Taramai’s converted try levelled the scores, before hooker Kaito Tamori produced the game’s decisive moment
when he posted his side’s fifth try three minutes into referee’s time.
The win improved the Blue Sharks’ ladder position by one, climbing above Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex, whose 

promising recent form was halted as they were outclassed 48-7 by NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu.
The Green Rockets’ best performance of the season featured six tries, three of which were scored by winger Teruya Goto,
backing up two from his opening appearance of the campaign against the Blue Sharks last week.
Welsh flyhalf Rhys Patchell enjoyed the most productive afternoon since his move to Japan, converting all six of his side’s
tries, while adding penalty and dropped goals.
Wayne Pivac’s men are up to third, although the former Wales coaches’ charges still trail the leaders by eight points after
Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi returned to the top of the standings following a crushing 54-19 win over Hino Red
Dolphins at Wave Stadium.
The win included try-scoring doubles by two of the side’s former Super Rugby representatives, the ex-Waratahs duo of
backrower Taleni Sau and centre Chance Peni, with the latter crossing against his former side.
The round will be completed on Saturday when the Red Hurricanes visit Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves on what is
certain to be an emotional day as the hosts remember the more than 20,000 victims of the 2011 tsunami.

Division Three

Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima continue to dominate the section, extending their advantage at the top of the standings to
eight points following yesterday’s comfortable 45-17 win over Sayama Secom Rugguts, having now beaten the division’s
second-placed side twice.
Winger Kohei Kamei is his side’s leading try-scorer, and he picked up two before halftime to take his tally to six for the
season, as SkyActivs worked their way to a 21-5 lead, before going on with the job in the second half.
Fullback Yuto Nakamura also contributed a double as SkyActivs took their point’s differential for the season to +206,
which is the biggest across all three divisions in the league.
Kurita Water Gush Akishima winger Yuta Sugiyama scored 21 points as Wycliff Palu’s men outclassed Yakult Levins Toda
56-12, handing Toda a fifth defeat from their last six matches.
Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions closed to within a point on the Rugguts on the ladder after overcoming winless Le
RIRO Fukuoka 24-10.