JRLO XV team of the season: All Blacks dominate Springboks five to two

Brodie Retallick is the Most Valuable Player in Japan Rugby League One.

Arguably the hottest favourite in the history of rugby awards anywhere in the world, the Kobe skipper picked up the title less than 24 hours after leading his side to victory in the fifth edition’s championship game.

The recognition, which followed in the footsteps of his former Test teammate and two-time winner Richie Mo’unga, capped a remarkable season in which the second-rower astonishingly topped the try count in Division One, while also bagging his first club title since back-to-back Super Rugby wins with the Chiefs in 2012-13.

The raw emotion the 35-year-old displayed as the full-time whistle went on yesterday’s 22-13 win over Kubota Spears, said more than any words could about just how much the title had meant to the big All Black.

While denied promotion, back-rower and skipper Cheng Chao Yi of Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi gained some consolation with the MVP award in Division Two.

Retallick’s fellow second-rower Andrew Davidson was the MVP in the third section.

The flame-haired Scot, who relocated to Japan from English Champ club Ealing Trailfinders two seasons ago, outdid even Retallick as he scored 18 tries for the year to tie Tokyo Sungoliath winger Seiya Ozaki’s record for the most across all three divisions of the league.

Davidson’s work helped Division Three champions SkyActivs Hiroshima win promotion.

Division One’s Best Fifteen was notable for the inclusion of five All Blacks, with Retallick joined by his Kobe team-mates, centre Anton Lienert Brown and back-rower Ardie Savea.

Inspirational BlackRams Tokyo scrum-half TJ Perenara and Toyota Verblitz winger Mark Telea completed the All Black dominance of the selection.

Kobe’s three All Blacks were among the champions’ five representatives, joined by back-rower Tiennan Costley and inside centre Tali Ioasa.

Toshiba’s struggles contributed to Mo’unga being a notable absentee, with the All Black fly-half missing out to Saitama Wild Knights pivot Takuya Yamasawa.

Saitama winger Koki Takeyama and prop Craig Miller were also named, although the club’s centre, Dylan Riley, was a surprise omission for the first time.

This left Brave Blossoms and Kubota Spears prop Opeti Helu as the only player to have been selected in the Best Fifteen in all five years of the League One era.

Helu’s skipper Faulua Makisi was included as was his front row colleague, World Rugby Player of the Year Malcolm Marx, who made it despite having the misfortune to miss the season finale.

Marx was one of two Springboks to feature, alongside his Test colleague and the league’s leading point-scorer, Sungoliath fullback Cheslin Kolbe.

Sungoliath provided two players with the Australian-born Brave Blossoms second rower Harry Hockings, the team’s other selection.

Electric full-back Shunsuke Uenobo, who set up Kobe’s try in the final, won the Rookie of the Year award.