Ardie Savea switches positions as new signings make Japan Rugby League One bow
The Japan Rugby League One season gets underway on Saturday when Kobelco Kobe Steelers host newly promoted Mie Honda Heat. Both are under new management, with Kobe’s Dave Rennie joining fellow former Wallaby coaches Robbie Deans (Saitama) and two-time Australian boss Eddie Jones in Japan, Jones remaining associated with Suntory.
Alongside Rennie, Kobe have also welcomed the return of All Black second-rower Brodie Retallick, who will captain the side after playing two seasons at the club earlier in his career.
Marquee signing Ardie Savea makes his debut, but away from his regular backrow starting position for the All Blacks, reverting to the openside flank.
The recently named World Rugby Player of the Year has arrived on a one-year sabbatical where he will re-unite with his former Hurricanes teammate, the wrecking ball ex-All Black inside centre, Ngane Laumape.
After scoring a hattrick in his second appearance for the club last term, Laumape played just twice more before injury ended his season.
Heat have entrusted former Italian boss Kieran Crowley with the reins for their return to Division One, but he will be without injured former Argentine skipper Pablo Matera for his maiden game.
Two of the remaining three matches on opening day feature sides with higher ambitions, after some headline making recruitment following mid-table finishes last season.
Sixth-placed Toyota Verblitz hand debuts to the All Blacks halfback combination of scrumhalf Aaron Smith and flyhalf Beauden Barrett, with the latter returning to Japan after he finished as the leading point-scorer in the final Top League three years ago, while based at Suntory.
After being used largely as a fullback by All Blacks coaches Steve Hansen, and his successor Ian Foster, during the last five years, Barrett has been returned to the number 10 jersey by Hansen in his role as Toyota’s Director of
Rugby.
Hansen has made a habit of big-name signings since he took over at Verblitz, but grabbing the two All Blacks centurions represents his biggest heist yet, with the pair joining former World Player of the Year and Rugby World Cup final Player of the Match Pieter Steph du Toit, and Japanese Rugby World Cup skipper Kazuki Himeno, on the club’s books.
The glamour new signings raise the stakes for Verblitz, who finished sixth last term, 11 points behind fifth-placed
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.
Toyota hosts a Ricoh Black Rams outfit featuring Japan’s star man from the Rugby World Cup, Amato Fakatava, along with ex-England backrower Nathan Hughes, who scored twice in the corresponding match last season when Verblitz needed an after the siren conversion to get secure the win.
Hansen’s former captain during his time coaching with Canterbury and the Crusaders, Todd Blackadder, has not been idle either in the off-season, picking up All Black flyhalf Richie Mo’unga and backrower Shannon Frizell, who will both start as Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo hosts Shizuoka Blue Revs.
It was Blackadder who gave a young Mo’unga his first shot at Super Rugby, while in charge of the Crusaders, and the seven-time Super Rugby winner will be out to repay his old mentor’s faith, having signed on a three-year-deal which has the potential to take Brave Lupus to the next level.
Toshiba’s All Blacks pair had a taste of what is to come when they appeared in the club’s final two pre-season ‘training’ games, but the Blue Revs promise to be a tricky assignment first-up, having landed a big fish of their own in the form of Tonga’s ex-All Black fullback Charles Piutau.
Fresh off representing his country of origin at the World Cup, after previously having appeared 17 times for New Zealand, Piutau joins an under-rated outfit that last year ended Panasonic’s five-year, 47-match, unbeaten run.
New coach Yuichiro Fujii will bring Springbok backrower Kwagga Smith and Maori All Black scrumhalf Bryn Hall off the bench as he plots to rectify the Blue Revs’ habit of letting games slip, which has seen 11 of their 32 games in League One lost by 10 points or less, five of which were dropped by the concession of points in the 75th minute or beyond.
There have also been two draws.
Comments on RugbyPass
Now if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
4 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
35 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
4 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
4 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
33 Go to comments