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