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A stacked Japanese Top League 'composite XV'

By Ian Cameron
Duane Vermeulen (Kubota Spears/K.Fukushima)

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.

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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.

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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.

13 Richard Kahui

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.

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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.

8 Duane Vermeulen

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.

2 Ash Dixon

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.

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Trevor 2 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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