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All Black Richie Mo'unga makes statement on return from bereavement
Richie Mo’unga announced his return from bereavement leave by scoring 19 points as Toshiba Brave Lupus outclassed Shizuoka Blue Revs 59-20 in the final round of Japan Rugby League One.
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The All Black flyhalf’s haul included a try – among nine scored by Brave Lupus yesterday – in what was an emphatic statement in the lead-up to a semi-final against arch-rivals Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath on May 19.
Brave Lupus outclassed Shizuoka Blue Revs 59-20 in the final round of Japan Rugby League One.
The All Black flyhalf’s haul included a try – among nine scored by Brave Lupus yesterday – in what was an emphatic statement in the lead-up to a semi-final against arch-rivals Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath on May 19.
Brave Lupus have twice beaten Sungoliath already this season and will fancy their chances to notch a hattrick against an opponent who have stumbled into the playoffs after going winless through the last three rounds.
The regular season of the competition concluded in Tokyo today, being played over three days during Japan’s Golden Week holiday celebrations.
Today’s only match saw Urayasu D-Rocks set up a replay against Hanazono Kintetsu Liners from last year’s two-legged promotion/relegation series, known as the Replacement Battle, when they overpowered NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu 48-28.
The Division Two champions were convincingly beaten by Kintetsu in both legs last term.
D-Rocks’ win came at a cost, with dual code star Israel Folau, who was playing just his second game of the campaign, and only his sixth in the last two seasons, exiting after 14 minutes due to injury.
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Despite losing both of their matches in Division Two’s Placement round, Green Rockets, who are coached by the Six Nations-winning ex-Wales boss Wayne Pivac, will play in the promotion series, facing the 10th-placed Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo of Division One.
Black Rams were well beaten in their dress rehearsal for the series yesterday, crashing to a 45-18 defeat against Toyota Verblitz, with the scoreline blowing out in the final 30 minutes after a try by ex-England backrower Nathan Hughes had given Ricoh a 13-12 lead.
Two of Toyota’s seven tries were scored by Aaron Smith.
The All Black scrumhalf remarkably scored in consecutive plays, with the second coming straight from the kick-off following his first try.
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Such was the speed of the action, it even eclipsed that of Smith’s ex-Wallaby counterpart Nick Phipps, who scored twice in two minutes for Green Rockets.
Sunday’s other match from Division One saw Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars sign off from an encouraging campaign with a sixth win after downing Kintetsu 46-36.
Former Wallaby Quade Cooper, who will the key man for his side in the Replacement Battle, scored his second try of the season in his team’s loss, but his performance was overshadowed by opposite number James Grayson, who collected 21 points, which also included a try.
The Englishman, who switched to Japan from Northampton, ended a succesful maiden season as the league’s fourth highest point-scorer with 148.
Saturday saw wins for Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay and Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Division One.
Mie Honda Heat, who were narrowly beaten by Kobe, will play Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi in the third of the Division One/Two Replacement Battles, which start on May 18.
Hino Red Dolphins had already been crowned in Division Three, but the champions were denied an unbeaten season by Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks yesterday, falling 38-26 despite the Sharks twice being reduced to 14-men by yellow cards.
One of those was shown to the Sharks’ dual international flyhalf Lima Sopoaga, but his side overcame the disadvantage, fighting back from a 26-0 deficit after 30 minutes to win the game.
Kurita Water Gush Akishima beat Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima 38-33 in the other match from the division, earning a shot at promotion through a Replacement Battle against Division Two’s bottom side, Japan Steel Kamaishi Seawaves.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
5 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
5 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
5 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to comments