Brave Lupus fired up for Fuchu derby despite Richie Mo'unga absence
The absence of All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo’unga, who is on bereavement leave, shouldn’t detract from a fascinating Fuchu derby in Saturday’s headline contest in Japan Rugby League One – which can be watched live for free on RugbyPass TV.
While both clubs are already semi-final-qualified, west Tokyo rivals Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath have a fierce rivalry that goes beyond the arrival of the semi-professional Top League in 2003.
The advent of a formal round-robin club competition in Japan 21 years ago provided an annual platform to grow the intensity of the derby on a national stage, and the antipathy has continued since the competition’s rebranding into Japan Rugby League One.
High scoring has been a feature in recent times. Three years ago, the teams produced a ridiculous 60-46 scoreline, when tackling was ‘optional’ on an afternoon that featured 13 tries. Last season yielded eight – three by Sungoliath winger Seiya Ozaki – as his side prevailed 40-34.
While Ozaki, who was last year’s leading try-scorer with 18 and sits second this term on 12, has feasted on Brave Lupus in recent seasons, this year’s outfit is a tougher nut to crack.
The serial try-scorer got his side’s only five-pointer as Toshiba won this year’s first derby 26-19, and the 28-year-old will be a marked man for the repeat, having scored against Brave Lupus in four of the last five meetings.
Brave Lupus have lost just once in 14 thus far, including last weekend’s one-point win over Mie Honda Heat when coach Todd Blackadder rested many of his front-liners with one eye to what was to come.
They have not gone back-to-back against Sungoliath since 2010/11, a statistic the club will be keen to rectify given the two could meet again in the semi-finals.
A Toshiba win would confirm second on the ladder, leaving Suntory to squabble with Yokohama Canon Eagles over who finishes third, and leave them avoiding unbeaten league leaders Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights in the knockouts.
Yokohama, who shipped 50 points against the Wild Knights in the corresponding match last term, face the unfortunate Shizuoka. The Blue Revs are unbeaten in five but sit eighth – three places below where they would be had they scored just one more point in each of their last two outings – which were drawn.
One of those was against outgoing champions Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay, whose wretched run with injuries finally cleared last weekend, allowing the rare sight of all three of the club’s internationals – Wales full-back Liam Williams, Wallaby fly-half Bernard Foley and All Black hooker Dane Coles – to appear on the same stage.
It was too much for Kobelco Kobe Steelers, who fell from the title race following their 39-29 defeat, and flags danger for each of Heat and Suntory, who have dates with the Spears before the regular season closes.
Misfiring Toyota Verblitz can keep afloat their chance of finishing fifth when they entertain the Eagles, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars will drop Ricoh Black Rams into the promotion/relegation series should they prevail when the two meet.
Saturday’s final match of a day when a full round of Division One will be played sees the Wild Knights entertain one-win Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.
They will be expected to notch up win number 15 for the season even though coach Robbie Deans is resting several of his frontliners ahead of the upcoming playoffs. Incredibly, the Wild Knights have won 85 of their last 88 games in the league, with another drawn.
- Click here to access RugbyPass TV. Its two live games this Saturday are Lupus versus Sungoliath and Verblitz against Eagles
Comments on RugbyPass
So sad, god rest him. Too young to be gone. RIP
2 Go to commentsRIP big man 🙏
2 Go to commentsThe GB coach. “Just because we don’t get together as much as other teams we don’t use that as an excuse for performances when we don’t hit the mark”. Why mention it at all then?
1 Go to commentsNo mention of the yellow card for Harlequins which really cost them.
3 Go to commentsThought you’d left us Nick. Good to have you back writing for us. So hunter ikitau works? I reckon wright kellaway as two of the back 3. Tim Ryan and Toole looking good for strike winger but I still want the power of korobeiti and figure our forwards still need him to help them out. Million dollar question is who plays 10? I’m thinking Noah for his kicking and combo with wright. Reckon the pair adds up to an attack and kellaway will help. Can you comment on Zac Lucas in Japan? How is he going?
1 Go to commentsMack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
3 Go to commentsLooks like the Force twisted his leg…ahem arm
5 Go to commentsScotland should change their name to the Barbarians
3 Go to commentsThe game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
3 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
8 Go to commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
3 Go to commentsGreat comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
3 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
3 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
5 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
5 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
5 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
16 Go to comments