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Dave Rennie opens up on All Blacks’ progress ahead of first SA Test
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Long-standing All Blacks team-mate takes aim at Ardie Savea
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They might have resurrected their season over the last five weeks, but just how good are Toyota Verblitz?
We might know the answer after Saturday’s key game in Japan Rugby League One.
Despite winning four of their last five to gobble up their gap to the play-offs places, Verblitz remain two points astern of sixth, with four of the current top five to play in the next four weeks.
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What will be a season-defining run for the competition’s most improved side starts in their final home match, against the league-leaders, Kubota Spears.
The Spears beat Steve Hansen’s side 39-10 in January, cruising home despite being held scoreless over the final 30 minutes.
Their try-scoring bonus that afternoon was one of nine they have collected from 13 matches which, allied to two losing bonus points for finishing within seven, has them a point ahead of the Saitama Wild Knights on the standings despite having won a game less.
Another maximum point afternoon may be required to maintain their advantage though, with the Wild Knights hosting Yokohama Canon Eagles, who they have beaten in each of their last 18 encounters.
Second-from-bottom and under relegation threat, the Eagles have not won this contest – where Springbok midfield partners Jesse Kriel (Yokohama) and Damian de Allende (Saitama) line up against each other – since 2013.
The two sides immediately above them, Shizuoka BlueRevs (ninth) and Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars (10th), clash at Nagasaki.
While a win would go along way towards easing the Dynaboars’ relegation nerves, it would probably be terminal for the BlueRevs’ hopes of back-to-back play-offs, which are already on life-support.
Pablo Matera’s Mie Honda Heat improved their cause with a bonus point win over Urayasu D-Rocks but, like Verblitz, they have four of the top five still to play, starting with Tokyo Sungoliath.
Although safely in the play-offs zone, there will have been a lot of hurt in western Tokyo this week after Sungoliath lost to the Wild Knights in injury time despite 24 points from their Springbok star Cheslin Kolbe.
That could be bad news for a Honda side Sungoliath beat 30-15 in January.
Sunday sees two sides who have collectively lost their last 16 matches come together at the Sapporo Dome where Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo will try to revive their sagging title defence against bottom-placed Urayasu D-Rocks.
Kobelco Kobe Steelers and BlackRams Tokyo are play-offs certainties which gives TJ Perenara’s fifth-placed outfit a free shot against his former Test and Hurricanes’ team-mate, Ardie Savea’s side.
Both teams have already achieved regular season records for wins in League One, with the BlackRams’ eight being two better than their previous best, while Kobe’s 11th win last weekend surpassed the 10 from their run to the play-offs last term.
