Ex-England and Wales stars join Boks and All Blacks in try scoring rampage in Japan
Things aren’t getting any better for Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay. Today’s 24-20 loss to Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo has left the defending champions languishing ninth on the competition ladder with an increasingly large margin opening between themselves and the current top four.
That group includes Toshiba whose fourth win of the season retains second place on the competition table, one point behind the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights. While maiden Japan Rugby League One tries from Kubota’s new recruits, All Black hooker Dane Coles, and Wales fullback Liam Williams, bookended their performance, the defending champions fell behind to two first half tries by the Brave Lupus pair of scrumhalf Yuhei Sugiyama and fullback Takuro Matsuaga, with the accurate boot of All Black flyhalf Richie Mo’unga ensuring they stayed there.
Although the All Blacks’ afternoon ended six minutes early due to a yellow card for dangerous play, setting up a frantic finale when Williams scored to close the gap to four, the Michael Leitch-led Brave Lupus did enough to see the game out, inflicting a first ever defeat on Kubota at their Edogawa base.
The Spears were not helped when their Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley pulled out before the game, although they were not let down by goal-kicking, with South African-born Japan international Gerhard van den Heever goaling three from three.
Yokohama Canon Eagles also ended the weekend in the top four after last season’s semi-finalists edged Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 40-35 in an entertaining contest, coming from behind to claim the spoils after trailing 22-20 at halftime.
Sagamihara had made a brilliant start, and led 22-3 after the opening quarter, but lost that momentum, primarily due to the finishing skills of the Eagles’ exciting winger Burua Inoke, whose two tries before the break brought Yokohama back into the game.
A breakout star during the Eagles’ return to the playoffs last term after a long absence, when he scored 13 tries from 15 appearances, the 24-year-old former Fijian age-grade representative has now scored four from as many appearances this season.
While Inoke’s efforts gave Canon a foothold in the game, it was two tries in two minutes from another Fijian-born player, centre Viliame Takayawa, that allowed Yokohama to skip clear.
Sagamihara kept battling, and gained a bonus point for finishing within seven when ex-Wallaby pivot Matt Too’mua kicked a penalty goal with four minutes to play, but the Eagles successfully negotiated the remaining time to seal the win.
Too’mua had an interesting afternoon, scoring 15 points in his first outing for the season, which included a dropped goal, but he also received a yellow card for a professional foul, one minute before the end.
Shizuoka Blue Revs had no trouble in the today’s third game, waltzing home 62-13 against an out-gunned Mie Honda Heat.
With skipper Kwagga Smith scoring two tries, which took the South African Rugby World Cup winner’s career tally in Japan to 19 from 26 appearances, Shizuoka finished with 10 overall; hooker Takeshi Hino also grabbing himself a try-scoring double.
Heat were not helped by the first half yellow card awarded against their off-season recruit from Super Rugby Mitchell Hunt, for repeated team infringements, while they continue to miss the influence of their star player from last season’s promotion run, former Argentine captain Pablo Matera, who has yet to return from a leg injury sustained at the Rugby World Cup.
A 27-5 lead just before halftime. A Rugby World Cup-winning coach and star international players calling the tune. That’s a sure thing, isn’t it?
It probably should have been, but wasn’t for Toyota Verblitz on Saturday, as Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights ran riot in the second period, swamping Steve Hansen’s men 35-0 in the final 40 minutes to record a spectacular 43-27 victory.
The visitors were all over last year’s finalists for much of the first half, with All Blacks Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith leading the way as Verblitz piled on four tries, the third scored by the New Zealand halfback, to romp to a 22-point advantage in the 39th minute.
Saitama have a history of rising from the grave though, and they did so again, carving the Verblitz defence to pieces with five tries, two of which were scored by the Australian-born Brave Blossoms pair, backrower Jack Cornelsen and centre Dylan Riley.
By the time the Wild Knights had finished, the record of having lost just once at their Kumagaya fortress since 2019 was intact, with the 43-27 victory maintaining their position at the top-of-the-table.
It also sent out a warning to New Zealand Super Rugby side, the Gallagher (Waikato) Chiefs, who visit the Wild Knights on the first weekend of the Cross-Border series on February 3.
Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, who also feature on the first weekend of that series when they host the (Auckland) Blues, were equally impressive as they came from 26-20 down at halftime to inflict back-to-back defeats on former Wallaby coach Dave Rennie’s Kobelco Steelers, winning the game 44-36.
With ex-All Black midfielder Ngane Laumape scoring his third try in four appearances for the season, Kobe outscored Sungoliath four-tries-to-two in the first half and wound up a try ahead on the count by game’s end, but it didn’t prove enough thanks to a super goalkicking performance by Suntory’s stand-in flyhalf Mikiya Takamoto.
In the hotseat while Suntory’s Argentine international replacement Nicolas Sanchez prepares for his debut in Japan, the 22-year-old kicked at 100 percent, with his excellence off the tee proving the difference, given Kobe’s former Chiefs’ man Bryn Gatland missed three of his six attempts.
After trailing by six at the break, Suntory upped the anti when play resumed, scoring the next 21 points, which included South African two-time Rugby World Cup-winner Cheslin Kolbe’s maiden Japan Rugby League One try.
Down 41-26, Kobe managed two late tries, the first by skipper and All Black lock Brodie Retallick, but they fell one short of picking up a bonus point for finishing within seven.
Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo collected the extra point on a dramatic afternoon at Yumunoshima, where Wallaby star Quade Cooper made his return for Hanazono Kintetsu Liners but was sin-binned after just 11 minutes as his side crashed to a 41-14 defeat.
The 35-year-old flyhalf was marched as punishment for his side’s repeated infringements, and it proved a costly absence, as Ricoh scored three converted tries during his banishment to establish to a 21-0 lead.
Former England backrower Nathan Hughes got things started with his third try of the campaign, while Queensland fullback Isaac Lucas scored in the second half as the Black Rams finished with six tries to crown their first win of the season with a maximum return.
The defeat means Kintetsu has made a 0 from 4 start, conceding an alarming average of 46.5 points through those matches, a statistic ‘bettered’ only by Honda, who have leaked points at the disastrous currency of 63 per outing.
Credit: Japan Rugby League One
Comments on RugbyPass
Why 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!
3 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 …
30 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.
3 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!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to comments