A stacked Japanese Top League 'composite XV'
The Japanese Top League came to it’s conclusion last weekend, with All Black legend Dan Carter leading the Kobe Steelers to their first league victory in over a decade.
The ageing Carter’s presence in the league plays to the idea of the competition being a well-paid retirement home for older players, but it belies the increasing competitiveness of a tournament that’s attracting foreign players earlier and earlier in their respective careers.
Sure, the League can offer salaries that compete with the highest in Europe, but the competition is also proving attractive for those wanting to experience a different way of life and a potentially less attritional form of professional rugby. The Top League’s short season and fast and loose playing style will prove attractive to athletes eager to extend their careers as well as top up their retirement funds.
Yet it is no cake walk. Week in, week out, big-name players can find themselves getting embarrassed by the astonishing speed of the game and the high likelihood of getting rinsed in a one-on-one with a local player that they’ve likely never heard of.
With this in mind, we have put together a composite XV, and we’ll think you’ll agree it’s an impressive one.
15 Gio Aplon
While ex-All Black Israel Dagg also plies his trade in the TL, Aplon performances have stood out. The former Grenoble fullback has been scoring tries for fun for the Toyota Verblitz in a league that well and truly suits his diminutive size, ridiculous leg speed and footwork.
14 Digby Ioane
The Wallabies wing left for the JTL after a disappointing time in the Top 14 with Stade Francais. He returned to Super Rugby with a stint at Crusaders but can be regularly found at the Panasonic Wild Knights.
Thirty-three-year-old Kahui was capped 17 times by the All Blacks. He signed for the Toshiba Brave Lupus in 2013 and hasn’t looked back since.
12 Matt Giteau
He may be 36-years-old, but he’s still a maestro be it at flyhalf or first centre. Faced off against Carter in the final, but it wasn’t to be his day.
11 Israel Dagg
Dagg’s form in the JTL has exactly set the league alight. Only 30, Dagg can be found on the wing or at fullback for the Cannon Eagles.
10 Dan Carter
What more needs to be written about this guy? Carter led the Steelers to their first League win since the inaugural Top League season in 2003-04. Maybe not the best in the world anymore, but he’s still a box office attraction like no other.
9 Andy Ellis
The 28 times capped All Black, who joined the Steelers a year before Carter, teamed up with his old mate, to form quite the halfback duo.
Big Duane is returning to South Africa but it didn’t stop him from grabbing a sneaky season in the JTL with the Kubota Spears.
7 Matt Todd
We could have easily picked Kazuki Himeno here, whose ability at the breakdown is without peer in the league following Pocock’s exit. Equally, the small but rapid Kwagga Smith, who is perfectly suited to the insane pace of the JTL, could have nipped in ahead of the All Black who plays for the Wild Knights.
6 Sean McMahon
McMahon signed with Suntory Sungoliath, abandoning his international career in favour of the JTL. He will now play against all the Australian Rugby franchises with the Sunwolves in the Australian conference, after joining them on a one-year deal.
5 RG Snyman
The towering 6’9, 120kg Springbok played for Honda Heat in the Super Rugby offseason and has returned to South Africa for the 2019 season.
4 Joe Wheeler
A Super Rugby winner with the Highlanders, funnyman Wheeler is one of Suntory’s resident locks. We were spoiled for choice in the secondrows however with options like Renial Hugo, Richie Arnold and Ruan Botha all excellent alternatives.
3 Hiroshi Yamashita
The frontrow is generally the reserve of native players. Hiroshi Yamashita has been capped 50 for Japan and is an absolute rock of a man at tighthead.
Maori All Black hooker Dixon likes to take sojourns from the Highlanders to turn out for the Wild Knights.
1 Keita Inagaki
Wild Knight loosehead Inagaki plays for the Sunwolves in Super Rugby and has also played for the Rebels. He’s been capped 23 times for the Brave Blossoms.
Comments on RugbyPass
Yet, according to Jake White and other twonks who think better, Jenkins shouldn’t be picked by the boks. Daft.
3 Go to commentsJordie is looking at 16 games maximum if Leinster reach both the URC and champions cup finals. Thats not guaranteed. Some of those home URC fixtures will be cakewalks as well for Leinster and there is not much doing during the 6 nations in Feb and March so he can probably get a decent rest then. He will have to really put in it for maybe 7 or 8 games max. It should be a good move for both.
13 Go to commentsThe game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
21 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
13 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
13 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
5 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
25 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
5 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to comments