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Bernard Foley eyes final bow as Super Rugby return rumours spread


Bernard Foley of Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay passes the ball during the NTT Japan Rugby League One Playoff Tournament semi final between Panasonic Wild Knights and Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay at Prince Chichibu Memorial Ground on May 31, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images)
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Ahead of an expected return to the Waratahs, former Wallaby Bernard Foley’s Spears side have booked a place in the Japan Rugby League One grand final.

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In-demand former Wallaby Bernard Foley will take his final bow in the Japan Rugby League One decider after Spears Funabashi Bay beat Saitama Wild Knights 26-24 to qualify for next week’s championship game.

Flyhalf Foley has been linked to a return to the Waratahs, whom he kicked to victory in the 2014 Super Rugby final against the Crusaders.

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The Spears prevailed on Sunday in a tight contest that swung on the first-half yellow card awarded against Southport School (Gold Coast) old boy Dylan Riley, with the Wild Knights centre sent to the sideline for a deliberate knock-down.

Replacement Spears centre Halatoa Vailea scored during the Brave Blossoms international’s absence and later sensationally charged down a conversion as Foley’s side held off a late charge from the Wild Knights to complete a thrilling victory.

Despite outscoring their rivals four tries to two – two of which came in the final three minutes – the Wild Knights were left to rue a high error count and some poor discipline.

The Spears will face the Kobe Steelers, with former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie chasing his first club title since 2013 after his side thrashed Tokyo Sungoliath 69-23 in Saturday’s opening semi-final.

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The incoming All Black boss saw his side set several records as they ran riot in the second half, after having only led by eight points at halftime.

The points tally was a record for a playoffs match in the five years of League One, and for its predecessor Top League, which inaugurated in 2003.

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GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Jake White renews calls for Springboks to be forced to play from home

Absolutely agree H. Some of our best coaches are overseas getting paid decent wages. Johan van Graan and Franco Smith the two most high profile but there are others Shaun Sowerby and Hein Adams both at Bordeaux. It can only be money. I don’t think the current top four coaches are up to the same standard as some of the South Africans coaching overseas. My experience in coaching is that there are three year natural cycles, Year one - re-alignment. Bringing in the new ideas anc coaching prioroties. Very often the first season is punctuated by losses trying to adapt form the old to the new ways. Year two the team gels around the new ways and beginning to achieve near their potential. Year three the peak of the new methods. But this is the year when inevitable the form of good players begins to attract offers from greener pastures and key players leave with the inevitable decline in results. It happened to me when I coached Kloof Senior Primary when we beat some very established teams like Cordwalles Highbury and WP Prep, Hugh Reece Edwards was rugby director at Westville and four of my key players left for bursaries there with the inevitable fall in results. It happened again when I was manager of the Hillcrest Villagers - after gaining entry to the premier competition when we beat teams like Harlequins complete with Vleis Visagie and Robert du Preez - low and behold that HR Edwards then became coach of Crusaders and would you believe it - four of our key players went there at the end of the season together with three or four others who retired, and of course we were relegated.

So - the fact that Rassie has managed to hang on players and develop others to fill the inevitable gaps and the fact that he has a wide spread of ideas besides his own I think is key to the continued - and long may it continue - success of the Boks. Our retreads are useful to fill gaps until others develop and also to act as player/mentor/coach such as Os du Rand and Frans Steyn so the mix is good but you can’t rely solely on those players like The Sharks do. I think mostly the others are getting there. Hope so.



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