Ex-All Blacks stand-off Richie Mo’unga is in trouble

It’s official. Richie Mo’unga and Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, the defending Japan Rugby League One champions, are in trouble.

Yesterday’s stunning 50-26 reverse against a Jesse Kriel inspired Yokohama Canon Eagles has left Brave Lupus clinging to the sixth and final qualifying position for the playoffs by their fingernails, but with a Saitama Wild Knights ‘sized’ shadow hanging over them.

Toshiba, who have lost nine times in their misfiring title defence, face the league-leaders on the final weekend of the regular season, and will almost certainly have to win to advance.

They couldn’t do it on opening day, which provided a portent of what was to come when the Wild Knights administered an astonishing 46-0 drubbing.

Kriel scored twice in yesterday’s impressive win, which has seen the Eagles rise from the dead, having seemed relegation series certainties after it took them seven matches to register a win.

Japan Rugby League One

Overall Standings

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Saitama Wild Knights

16

15

1

0

68

2

Kobelco Kobe Steelers

16

14

2

0

67

3

Kubota Spears

16

13

3

0

64

4

BlackRams Tokyo

16

9

7

0

41

5

Tokyo Sungoliath

16

7

9

0

40

6

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

16

7

9

0

35

7

Toyota Verblitz

16

7

9

0

33

8

Shizuoka BlueRevs

16

6

10

0

30

9

Mie Honda Heat

16

6

10

0

29

10

Yokohama Canon Eagles

16

5

11

0

26

11

Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars

16

4

12

0

19

12

Urayasu D-Rocks

16

3

13

0

12

Conference A

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Saitama Wild Knights

16

15

1

0

68

2

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

16

7

9

0

35

3

Shizuoka BlueRevs

16

6

10

0

30

4

Yokohama Canon Eagles

16

5

11

0

26

5

Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars

16

4

12

0

19

6

Urayasu D-Rocks

16

3

13

0

12

Conference B

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Kobelco Kobe Steelers

16

14

2

0

67

2

Kubota Spears

16

13

3

0

64

3

BlackRams Tokyo

16

9

7

0

41

4

Tokyo Sungoliath

16

7

9

0

40

5

Toyota Verblitz

16

7

9

0

33

6

Mie Honda Heat

16

6

10

0

29

Now on a run of four wins from their last six, Canon have a seven-point buffer on 11th-placed Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars whom they face next week, knowing a win will ensure they skip the post season relegation jeopardy.

It’s a fate looking likely for the Dynaboars after their heavy defeat by the Wild Knights, for whom Kriel’s mate in the Springbok midfield, inside centre Damian de Allende, also scored two tries.

Having averaged a concession of 57 points from seven games against Saitama prior to the start of the season, Sagamihara lost 57-19 yesterday.

At least they are consistent.

So too are Urayasu D-Rocks, whose run of results would have coach Graham Rowntree tearing his hair out, if he had any, with Friday night’s 12th defeat in a row confirming their place on post season relegation series duties.

Despite second half tries from the internationals, Springbok Jasper Wiese and Wallaby Samu Kerevi, Urayasu were in damage control mode by then after Shizuoka BlueRevs romped to a 28-0 halftime lead.

The visitors capped their 49-26 win with a bonus point to keep their playoffs hopes alive.

Try-scoring bonus points are the thing Kobelco Kobe Steelers appear to do best.

They have collected 11 of them, becoming the first side to surpass a century of tries during their 49-28 schooling of Tokyo Sungoliath.

Unsurprisingly, two of their seven tries were scored by Brodie Retallick.

The big man, who is now 34 but is throwing his body around like a colt half his age, has a league-high 16 in as many games.

No wonder his coach, new All Black boss Dave Rennie, wants to smuggle him back into New Zealand in his luggage!

Kubota Spears would like to smuggle the finals to Spears Edoriku Field after they recorded their 25th win in a row at the ground, seeing off Mie Honda Heat 54-21.

Verblitz are still in the finals race, two points behind Toshiba, after today’s thrilling 40-28 win over BlackRams Tokyo.

A contest that swung one way, and then the other, was settled by a 77th-minute try from Toyota’s freshman prop Hamdahn Tuipulotu, the younger brother of New Zealand test second-rower, Patrick.

All Blacks Mark Telea (Verblitz) and TJ Perenara (BlackRams) were try-scorers in the game.