1
Robbie Deans goes 5-0 up on Steve Hansen
The Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights remain on course for their third straight title in Japan’s League One rugby competition after becoming the first team to qualify for the semi-finals. The Wild Knights, coached by the former Crusaders and Wallaby coach Robbie Deans, extended their unbeaten run to 46 matches as they overcame Steve Hansen’s Toyota Verblitz 19-10 in a willing contest at Aichi.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was the fifth time Deans has got the better of his former Crusaders assistant during the unbeaten sequence, although the nine-point margin represented a significant improvement for Toyota’s Director of Rugby, whose team had lost by an average of 24 points across the previous four defeats.
The Panasonic club, who featured Aussies Marika Koroibete, Jack Cornelsen and Dylan Riley as well as Springboks Damien de Allende and Lood de Jager, in their starting XV, are bidding for their sixth title since Deans became formally associated with c oaching the team.
They prevailed despite losing two men to the sinbin, including de Jager who experienced a mixed day, receiving a yellow card for interference after earlier having scored Saitama’s only try.
Elsewhere, Todd Blackadder’s Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo remain in the semi-final mix after edging Aussie Peter Hewat’s Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo 12-10 in a thriller on Friday night, with the gap between the fifth-placed Brave Lupus and Yokohama Canon Eagles in fourth, just four log points.
Yokohama hammered Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 64-12 yesterday.
The leagues bottom club were without injured Wallaby pair, Will Genia and Quade Cooper.
ADVERTISEMENT
Third placed Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath will have pleased club advisor Eddie Jones, after outclassing NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu 32-7, today.
The Green Rockets have now won one but lost four since parting ways with the former Wallaby coach Michael Cheika as their Director of Rugby, and will now almost certainly play in the upcoming promotion/ relegation series.
The remaining winners in Division One on Match Day 13 were Bernard Foley’s Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay and Shizuoka Blue Revs.
While he remains absent due to injury, Israel Folau’s Urayasu D-Rocks confirmed their place at the top of the Division Two table by beating Mie Honda Heat 20-10 today.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a game of mixed fortunes for the Australians, Wallaby fullback Tom Banks was a try-scorer but ended up on the losing side, while ex-Wallaby flanker Liam Gill shared in the win despite picking up a yellow card.
Urayasu, who are in their maiden season as an entity, now play a finalisation round with Heat, and the third-placed Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi, to determine rankings ahead of the sudden-death promotion playoffs with the bottom three teams from Division One.
This process could throw up the possibility of Folau facing Genia and Cooper across a two-legged tie.
Comments on RugbyPass
I hope WRU cops a 12 month ban.
1 Go to commentsOuch. Pumped. Even Nohamba is a better flyhalf than Ford.
2 Go to commentsI hope Leinster’s proud of themselves fielding a poor team. They should decide if they’re all in or not.
2 Go to commentsJordie is looking at 16 games maximum if Leinster reach both the URC and champions cup finals. Thats not guaranteed. Some of those home URC fixtures will be cakewalks as well for Leinster and there is not much doing during the 6 nations in Feb and March so he can probably get a decent rest then. He will have to really put in it for maybe 7 or 8 games max. It should be a good move for both.
13 Go to commentsThe game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
30 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
13 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
13 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
6 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
27 Go to comments