Official Review: Japan Rugby League One 2024-25 | Round 2

Division One

Things are not going well for the Yokohama Canon Eagles.

Today’s 36-18 defeat by Kobelco Kobe Steelers was the sixth in a row for last year’s semi-finalists, two of which have

blotted their start to the new campaign.

While they led for much of last week’s defeat by Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, Faf De Klerk’s Eagles were always chasing the

game today as their hosts stormed to a 24-8 halftime advantage, before seeing out the game comfortably, driven by tries

from test forwards, hooker George Turner and second-rower Brodie Retallick.

The tries were the second in a week for each of the Scotland international and the All Black, at the head of a Steelers

pack that is going to take some subduing throughout the campaign.

Brave Lupus will the be the next to try, with the defending champions heading into the new year at the top of the

standings following today’s remarkable 61-8 dismantling of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars.

Buoyed by last week’s outstanding performance against Urayasu D-Rocks, the Dynaboars looked like they were going to

make a game of it at Tokyo’s Ajinomoto Stadium, but after leading 8-7 at the 20-minute mark, they collapsed spectacularly,

with Brave Lupus running in six tries during a stunning last 16 minutes of the first half, which left the score a scarcely

believable 49-8 at the break.

Although the second period was perhaps understandably a quieter affair, given the result had already been determined,

Brave Lupus added two further tries, which allowed them to claim the lead on the standings heading into the new year

thanks to a superior point’s differential over Shizuoka Blue Revs and Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights.

Saturday saw Bernard Foley endure the ultimate irony with his goal-kicking as Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay went 

down in a thriller, 26-24 to the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights at Kumagaya.

Having been the match winner six days earlier – when his successful dropped goal in the last play of the game got the

Spears home against Toyota Verblitz despite the Wallaby flyhalf having missed four of his five shots off the tee – this time

Foley nailed his first four attempts, only to miss what would have been the match-winner with his side two points down

and two minutes remaining.

Although the Spears could count themselves unfortunate not to have claimed what would have been just their second

win over their rivals from the last 17 attempts, it was three yellow cards rather than Foley’s boot that ultimately proved

Kubota’s undoing, leaving them with just a bonus point to show for an afternoon’s work where they had out-scored the

Wild Knights three-tries-to-two, and battled back from a 20-3 halftime deficit to claim a one-point lead with eight minutes

remaining.

Last season’s leading try-scorer Malo Tuitama opened his account for the new campaign with a hattrick as Shizuoka Blue

Revs backed up last week’s courageous win over Kobe with a brutal 62-19 demolition of Urayasu D-Rocks.

The home side was blown away in the first half as a rampaging Blue Revs outfit ran in five tries, including one by its try-

hungry Brave Blossoms winger, to take a 36-0 lead to the sheds.

Although Greig Laidlaw’s newly promoted outfit showed greater resolve after the break, finishing the afternoon with

three tries, Tuitama completed his hattrick in the second half as Shizuoka banked nine tries in all.

Kieran Crowley won the ‘battle’ of the New Zealand coaches at Gifu, leaving Verblitz with a none from two start for the

first time since the 2019-20 season, after Mie Honda Heat came from behind to score an upset 21-17 win.

Toyota coaches Steve Hansen and Ian Foster must be wondering whether their halftime words are being lost in translation

as for the second time in a week, Verblitz lost a match they had appeared to have charge of heading into its latter stages.

Verblitz scored the only two tries of the first half, and when star winger Taichi Takahashi scored his second of the game

to push the home side 17-9 clear – having scored three tries to none entering the final quarter – the situation appeared

under control.

That it wasn’t is testament to the belief Crowley has instilled in his troops after a tortuous first season back in the division,

with Heat scoring the final two tries of the contest to claim their second win of the campaign – already one more than

they achieved last term.

All Black scrumhalf TJ Perenara’s Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo brought an ugly sequence to an end after they edged Tokyo

Suntory Sungoliath 33-32 for their first win against their cross-town rivals in 17 games, which included a 62-0 rout last

term.

The Black Rams prevailed after a gripping contest where the lead changed hands four times, and just a point separated

the protagonists for a nerve jangling but ultimately scoreless final 15 minutes.

Sungoliath twice found themselves trailing by significant margins – 19-3 in the first half, and 33-20 in the second – but

Kosei Ono’s men would not concede, although their inability to land the decisive blow leaves the rookie coach still

searching for his maiden win, two matches into his tenure.

Divisions Two & Three

It’s a feeling they haven’t experienced since March 24, but NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu are finally in the winner’s circle

again after Saturday’s 59-17 win over Kamaishi Seawaves in Iwate.

The seaside air clearly refreshed the visitors, who blanked their hosts 28-0 in the second half to give ex-Wallaby scrumhalf

Nick Phipps his maiden win as the side’s fulltime captain, while ending the six-game losing run the Green Rockets had

endured since the final quarter of last season.

The Seawaves offered resistance in the first half, which they ended trailing 31-17, but that was as good as it got as Phipps

and his men ran away with the game.

Indian-born fullback Keagen Faria grabbed a hattrick for the winners, while Wales flyhalf Rhys Patchell celebrated his first

visit to northern Japan with his first try in League One as part of a 13-point haul for the afternoon.

Saturday’s second game saw Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks continue their successful start to the season, beating Kyushu

Electric Power Kyuden Voltex 41-33, with veteran South African Conrad van Wyk continuing the form that saw him lead

the try-scoring in the lower divisions last term, by picking up his first two tries of the new campaign.

The other game in the section produced a win for the visitors as Red Hurricanes Osaka came away from Aichi with an

impressive 30-22 win today.

Red Hurricanes were at one point reduced to 13 men and trailed 20-3 after half an hour but refused to give way, holding 

Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi scoreless in the second period while they stunned the locals with three tries.

Yakalt Levins Toda appear to be relishing life in Division Three with the new entry making it two-wins from as many

attempts following Saturday’s 29-16 win over Kurita Water Gush Akishima.

Hooker Kosetsu Kawachi followed up last week’s hattrick against LeRIRO Fukuoka with two tries against Water Gush even

though he didn’t take the field until the 20th minute as a replacement.

SkyActivs Hiroshima are also unbeaten following today’s thrilling 31-27 win over Sayama Rugguts.

Japan Rugby League One – Round Two Results

Division One

Saturday December 28

Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo 33, Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath 32; at Tokyo

Shizuoka Blue Revs 62, Urayasu D-Rocks 19; at Kumamoto

Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights 26, Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay 24; at Kumagaya

Mie Honda Heat 21, Toyota Verblitz 17; at Gifu

Sunday December 29

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 61, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars 8; at Tokyo

Kobelco Kobe Steelers 36, Yokohama Canon Eagles 18; at Kobe

Division Two

Saturday December 28

NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu 59, Japan Steel Kamaishi Seawaves 17; at Iwate

Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks 41, Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex 33; at Tokyo

Sunday December 29

Red Hurricanes Osaka 30, Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi 22; at Aichi

Division Three

Saturday December 28

Yakult Levins Toda 29, Kurita Water Gush Akishima 16; at Kanagawa

Sunday December 29

SkyActivs Hiroshima 31, Sayama Rugguts 27; at Yamanashi