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Five bold possible debutants for the All Blacks in 2026
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Watch: Retallick scores, Perenara makes Black Rams debut -Japan Rugby League One
By Henry Lee
The Japan Rugby League One has just kicked off its 2024-25 campaign, with many New Zealand players and former All Blacks heavily involved in the round one games.
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Rugby in Japan continues to flourish and grow, as many International players spend off-seasons in Japan, or take sabbaticals from national contracts in order to play in the league.
There has been three division one games so far this weekend, before the Steve Hansen and Ian Foster led Toyota Verblitz take on the Kubota Spears this evening.
Former NRL star Joseph Manu will make his much anticipated rugby union debut at center, alongside Siosaia Fifita.
Bryn Hall will line up for the Kubota Spears at halfback, playing against former All Black Aaron Smith.
The first set of round one games has seen TJ Perenara make his BlackRams Tokyo debut at halfback, a month after finishing his Test match career with the All Blacks on the end-of-year tour.
Perenara, who played 90 Test matches for the All Blacks, ended his International career on a high note before meeting up with his new squad last month where he will play for the Rams for the next 3 years.
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Perenara played all 80 minutes on debut, falling short against the Mie Honda Heat at Suzuka Sports Garden 23-21.
In the Shizuoka BlueRevs game against the Kobelco Kobe Steelers at Yamaha Stadium, three Kiwis had major parts to play in the result.
109 Test match former All Black Brodie Retallick crossed the line to give his team the lead in the first half, before both of his New Zealand teammates spent time in the sin bin in the second half.
Retallick, who captained the Dave Rennie-coached Steelers, strolled over in what was a pretty bog standard pick and go close to the line.
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In the 61st minute, former Blues lock Gerard Cowley-Tuioti was sent off, putting his team down to 14 men early in the second half.
The BlueRevs started the game slowly, but the impact from substitutions in the second half enabled the team from Shizuoka to wrestle themselves back into the game.
Former All Black and blockbusting midfielder Ngani Laumape entered the game in the 61st minute, before being yellow carded after the full-time hooter, handing the victory to the BlueRevs 15-13 in a close round one encounter.
There was also a strong Kiwi presence in the Tokyo Sungoliath match against the Saitama Wild Knights, in a game that was mostly dominated by the Wild Knights.
Former All Blacks captain Sam Cane came off the bench for his Tokyo Sungoliath team in the 38th minute, before leaving the field again in the 71st.
Like Perenara, Cane hasn’t had much time to reflect on a massive campaign with the All Blacks, getting into a new season’s work almost immediately after the end-of-year tour.
Cane’s impact for the All Blacks this year was widely spoken about with fans around the World, with head coach Scott Robertson singing his praises throughout the year as an important leader for his side.
Cane’s old Chiefs teammate, Wild Knights loose forward Lachlan Boshier was also in on the action with the ball in hand, scoring a try in the 52nd minute after a strong run by Springboks midfielder Damian de Allende.
Ex-Hurricanes midfielder Vince Aso came off the bench to score a try late on in the piece to solidify what was already a comfortable lead for the Saitama Wild Knights.
Aso was on the end of a smart long cut-out pass from the base of the ruck, that set up the 29-year-old in the corner.
