All Black absent but Brave Lupus get job done
Todd Blackadder’s Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo are through to the semi-finals of Japan Rugby League One after a thrilling 40-40 draw with Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Tokyo today.
Brave Lupus, who were without their All Black Richie Mo’unga after the flyhalf’s father Saimone passed away last week, did their absent star proud in the first half as they feasted on a host of errors by the visitors to race to a 33-14 halftime advantage.
Mo’unga’s understudy, Takuro Matsunaga, converted four of the five Brave Lupus tries in the first 40 minutes, as well as their sole second-half score, which proved critical as his side gradually wilted in the face of a furious Kobe riposte.
Playing as if the second period was their grand final – which it may well prove to have been – Kobe dominated territory and possession, but were initially held up by resilient defence, which forced a steady stream of errors as nerves kicked in and attackers turned over possession through forced passes or loose carries in contact.
Even so, Dave Rennie’s side kept coming, and the former Wallaby coaches’ men looked like they might escape when the weight of the defensive effort finally took its’ toll on their opponents.
Three tries between the 66th minute and the sixth minute of referee’s time, which consisted almost entirely of re-set scrums on the Brave Lupus goal-line, finally produced a result for Kobe, with All Black Shannon Frizell sin-binned.
This allowed the Steelers to exploit the additional space created by his absence for winger Junta Hamano to score out wide.
That left former Chiefs flyhalf Bryn Gatland, the competition’s leading point-scorer, with the chance to win the game but having kicked two goals from balls that struck the goalpost, his luck ran out with the decisive kick flying wide.
The draw leaves Kobe trailing fourth-placed Yokohama Canon Eagles by seven points.
Although the Eagles are still to visit the unbeaten Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, they may need to lose two of their final three to give Kobe a chance.
The Wild Knights remain the front-runners after a 50-26 win over Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo with their 13th win of the season spearheaded by two tries for the second week running from Wallaby winger Marika Koroibete.
The Robbie Deans-coached side is within three wins of their third unbeaten regular season in four since the game resumed in Japan after Covid.
The ‘believe it or not’ season Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay are enduring continued on Saturday when the defending champions were denied in referee’s time for the second week running, remarkably surrendering a 31-0 first half advantage as they were pegged back to 31-31 by Shizuoka Blue Revs in the weekend’s second draw.
Blue Revs, for whom dual international Charlies Piutau scored twice, were chasing their first home victory over the Spears since 2006 and could have ended that barren run had Keagen Faria not scuffed the conversion of his side’s final try from a handy angle, three minutes into added time.
The luckless winger had landed his previous attempt from the sideline.
Kubota conceded two tries in a crazy final 10 minutes playing with 13 men after two of their number were yellow carded, including ex-Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley, who was dismissed for an around the neck tackle.
Foley had earlier scored his second try in as many weeks as part of Kubota’s big lead.
Fijian-born centre Viliame Takayawa was the main man for the Eagles on Friday night, scoring four times during his side’s 52-33 win over Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.
The other games saw two tries by Beauden Barrett help Toyota Verblitz complete back-to-back wins for the first time by beating Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars 34-20, while third-placed Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath trounced Mie Honda Heat 60-10.
Comments on RugbyPass
I hope they didn’t pay Jones fee?
2 Go to commentsTo be fair, the teams he's had to put out are reminiscent of those available to Gatland during his horrible run at the Chiefs in late 2020. Anyway, he's only got a two year contract and Wellingtonian Tamati Ellison will be ready by then, as will a lot of talented youngsters (like the Chiefs Gatland blooded). The Crusaders are planning for the long term.
4 Go to commentsGreat to see more community spending leading to higher participation in the community. It's a long road but that's a good first step.
2 Go to commentsPoetic justice for trying to sell him to Australia as another kiwi saviour coach, not ! Deans was just as bad actually but McCaw and Carter covered up for him. That’s why they didn’t want him as All Black coach, even after Graeme Henry’s bumbling effort in 2007.
4 Go to commentsSACK HIM !
4 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
96 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
96 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
96 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
96 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
96 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
96 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
96 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
96 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
96 Go to comments