Richie Mo'unga and Cheslin Kolbe continue to make a big impact in JRLO

After flattering to deceive last season, Tokyo Sungoliath already appear a much-improved beast, sitting on top of the standings after the first two weeks of Japan Rugby League One concluded today.

The five times champions of Japan, who could only manage sixth last term, head into Christmas as the only side with a perfect record, after coming from 10 points down to beat Toyota Verblitz 43-25 yesterday, with the help of two tries and 17 points from Springbok star Cheslin Kolbe.

Saitama Wild Knights and Kubota Spears are the only other sides that remain unbeaten in the 12-team Division One, albeit one point behind, with the former beating Graham Rowntree’s Urayasu D-Rocks 37-19 at Kumagaya today.

While it was the Englishman’s first loss since he took up station in Japan, the old prop in him would at least have forced a wry smile, after three of the Wild Knights’ five tries were scored by a front-rower, hooker Atsushi Sakate.

The Spears led BlackRams Tokyo by just a point with 18 minutes remaining on Saturday but sunk their rivals with the final three tries of an entertaining contest which finished 50-28 in their favour.

Defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo rebounded from last week’s horror show against the Wild Knights this afternoon, winning a hotly contested match at Shizuoka BlueRevs, 26-22.

Japan Rugby League One

Overall Standings

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Tokyo Sungoliath

2

2

0

0

10

2

Saitama Wild Knights

2

2

0

0

9

3

Kubota Spears

2

2

0

0

9

4

Shizuoka BlueRevs

2

1

1

0

6

5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers

2

1

1

0

6

6

Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars

2

1

1

0

5

7

Toyota Verblitz

2

1

1

0

4

8

Urayasu D-Rocks

2

1

1

0

4

9

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

2

1

1

0

4

10

Mie Honda Heat

2

0

2

0

1

11

Yokohama Canon Eagles

2

0

2

0

1

12

BlackRams Tokyo

2

0

2

0

0

Conference A

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Saitama Wild Knights

2

2

0

0

9

2

Shizuoka BlueRevs

2

1

1

0

6

3

Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars

2

1

1

0

5

4

Urayasu D-Rocks

2

1

1

0

4

5

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

2

1

1

0

4

6

Yokohama Canon Eagles

2

0

2

0

1

Conference B

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Tokyo Sungoliath

2

2

0

0

10

2

Kubota Spears

2

2

0

0

9

3

Kobelco Kobe Steelers

2

1

1

0

6

4

Toyota Verblitz

2

1

1

0

4

5

Mie Honda Heat

2

0

2

0

1

6

BlackRams Tokyo

2

0

2

0

0

Having failed to muster a point from their first 80 minutes of endeavour, Brave Lupus took just six minutes to strike this time with their main man, All Black Richie Mo’unga, unsurprisingly the tryscorer, to get the campaign underway.

While BlueRevs responded through their own star man, last season’s rookie of the year scrumhalf Shuntaro Kitamura, Brave Lupus led 19-5 and appeared to have the game under control until rugby league convert Valynce Te Whare scored in first half injury time to cut the gap to seven.

Sensing their opportunity, the home side then edged ahead, helped by a try on his season debut from ex-Bristol Bears man Charles Piutau, but Brave Lupus held their nerve.

The visitors claimed what proved to be the match-winning score through former All Black centre Seta Tamanivalu with 15 minutes remaining.

The result leaves Shizuoka level on the standings with the side who eliminated them last term, Kobelco Kobe Steelers, after Dave Rennie’s men overturned a halftime deficit to beat Mie Honda Heat 28-23.

While four penalty goals off the boot of ex-Saracens flyhalf Manu Vunipola, as well as Kobe centre Anton Lienert-Brown’s first half yellow card for a professional foul, made for pleasant music for the home faithful at the interval, the mood changed after as the Steelers scored three tries, the last by skipper Brodie Retallick, to register their first win.

Former Blues coach Leon MacDonald is still waiting for that after Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars won a typically hard-fought Kanagawa derby over Yokohama Canon Eagles 17-10.