All Blacks to face off against NZ Super Rugby teams in Japan
The return of Japan Rugby League One after the New Year’s break sees the competition’s four participants in next month’s Cross-Border matches against the New Zealand Super Rugby sides step up their preparations with challenging assignments.
Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath will face the (Auckland) Blues in the Japanese capital on the first weekend of Cross-Border on February 3, while Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights welcome last year’s Super Rugby runners-up, Gallagher (Waikato) Chiefs, to their Kumagaya fortress on the same afternoon. Japan Rugby League One champions Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay are in action the following weekend, tackling the Chiefs, while Yokohama Canon Eagles will test their strength against the Blues, who made last year’s Super Rugby semi-final.
The Wild Knights, who have lost just once at Kumagaya since 2019, continue their build up on Saturday with a tricky test against a rejuvenated Toyota Verblitz. Although on the wrong end of a narrow loss to Yokohama on Match Day Two, Verblitz have shown that with the addition of the All Black duo of flyhalf Beauden Barrett and halfback Aaron Smith, they can be a title threat, after finishing a disappointing sixth last term.
The Wild Knights have taken maximum points from their three outings to start the season, which includes a thumping win over Yokohama on the opening weekend. While Wallaby star Marika Koroibete has been named on the bench, the Wild Knights still have Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok centre Damien de Allende in their starting XV, alongside 10 members of Japan’s squad from that tournament in their match day 23.
Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath have a similarly difficult assignment against another of the big improvers from last term, Kobelco Kobe Steelers, who will be looking to get back on track after suffering their first defeat of the season against Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo on Christmas Eve. Scoring points aren’t a problem for Dave Rennie’s men at the moment; even though they were defeated, Kobe scored 39 last time, and they are currently the competition’s leading point-scorers with 149.
The match brings New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup skipper Sam Cane, who starts on the back of the scrum for Suntory, up against his former Chiefs mentor Rennie, as well as recent All Black teammates Brodie Retallick and Ardie Savea. It will be interesting to see how the Steelers’ razor blade fares against a Suntory side boasting the league’s second meanest defense, and who are aided by Rennie’s Wallabies successor Eddie Jones, who is a club advisor.
Saturday afternoon’s third match in Division One sees Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo and Hanazono Kintetsu Liners chase their first win when they collide in Tokyo. Former England backrower Nathan Hughes, who was a try-scorer in each of the first two games of the season, has been reinstated in the starting XV this week, after coming off the bench in round three, boosting a Ricoh pack that already includes star Brave Blossoms forward Amato Fakatava.
While the Black Rams were stoic in narrow defeats against Verblitz and Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars, they gave up any chance of testing the Wild Knights after a flat first half, which left them astern by 22 points at the break. Kintetsu have shown similar qualities in each of their last two outings: one good half, one bad. In their case, it was each of the first halves against the competition heavyweights, Saitama, and Yokohama, that were promising.
The miserable collapses in the second periods were not so flash, but they have been boosted by the presence of Wallaby star Quade Cooper, who plays after missing the first three games of the season. The 35-year-old’s return from a long-term Achilles injury last season made an immediate impact by helping Kintetsu, who had won just one regular season match, convincingly beat Division Two champions Urayasu D-Rocks over two legs in the Replacement Battle. Having already stated his availability for international rugby later this year on social media, the 84-test veteran will be looking to make a statement first up.
It has not been the start to a title defense that Frans Ludeke and his Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay wanted. The surprise reverse against Shizuoka Blue Revs on Christmas Eve, which followed an opening day loss to Suntory, means the side has already dropped more matches than it did in the entirety of last season’s historic campaign. Things get no easier for the South African coach on Sunday as his men continue their preparations for Cross-Border by facing near neighbors, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, who are flying after opening the competition with three impressive wins.
Todd Blackadder’s men have already swept aside one local rival after defeating Sungoliath in the Fuchu derby, and they also boast the competition’s two leading try-scorers in Brave Blossoms winger Jone Naikabula and an unlikely source in All Black loose forward Shannon Frizell, each with five.
Ludeke was able to unwrap his new recruits, Wales fullback Liam Williams and New Zealand hooker Dane Coles, the day before Christmas, and he will be hoping for an increased impact from the test pair now they have had the experience against the Blue Revs to familiarize themselves with the club game in Japan. Both men have more than handy records as try-scorers in club and international play. Yokohama, who also have Cross Border on the radar, visit Sagamihara.
After a surprisingly limp performance on opening day against Saitama, last year’s third-placed getters have bounced back strongly, following up a tense win over Verblitz with an effortless second half stroll against Kintetsu. With the Springbok Rugby World Cup-winners, centre Jesse Kriel and halfback Faf de Klerk, having hit the ground running since their return from France, the Eagles have made a promising start in their bid to make it back-to-back semi-final appearances.
Despite suffering their first defeat of the campaign last time out, the Dynaboars still highlighted their scoring capability by running up 40 points against Verblitz. Having faltered after an almost identical start to the last campaign, when they won their first two, Sagamihara will see Yokohama as a chance to change that storyline as the season gets deeper. One man the Eagles will need to contain is the ex-Wallaby centre Curtis Rona, who has scored in each of the opening three matches, and heads into this weekend with four tries to his name.
Just stopping tries will help the bottom side Mie Honda Heat, with their defense having leaked 189 points over the first three weekends. With Shizuoka coming off a deserved upset win over Kubota, another difficult afternoon could be in store for last season’s promoted side as they continue their struggle to adapt to the higher grade.
Comments on RugbyPass
I guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
43 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
4 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
43 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
43 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
4 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
6 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
2 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
6 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to comments