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RWC-winning All Black's coaching career to start against Ian Foster
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Rugby World Cup-winner and new Kobelco Kobe Steelers mentor Andy Ellis will take his maiden step as a professional coach against former All Blacks boss Ian Foster’s Toyota Verblitz, when the sixth edition of Japan Rugby League One opens on December 12.
The rookie has replaced current All Blacks coach Dave Rennie at the defending champions, teaming up with former director of rugby Wayne Smith, who will advise the club’s new man.
The combination renews the partnership that steered Kobe to the 2018 title, Smith heading a programme with Ellis as captain during a season which ended with a 55-5 demolition of Tokyo Sungoliath in the final.
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Last season’s League One Player of the Year Brodie Retallick will again skipper the side.
Although All Blacks stars Ardie Savea and Anton Lienert-Brown aren’t returning, Kobe have picked up useful newcomers in Springboks scrum-half Grant Williams and ex-All Blacks winger George Bridge.
Williams is one of 10 Springboks from Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry who will feature in Japan, with Pieter-Steph du Toit, who played his 100th Test in South Africa’s 33-26 win over New Zealand in Cape Town, returning to Verblitz.
Toyota’s All Black pair, scrum-half Aaron Smith and winger Mark Telea, remain as the club bids for a first play-offs appearance since the League One era began.
Boom Australian star Mark Nawaqanitawase will take his opening bow in Saitama Wild Knights’ clash with Jasper Wiese’s Urayasu D-Rocks, who caused one of the upsets of the season when they beat the inaugural league champions last year.
Nawaqanitawase is chasing a Premiership in the National Rugby League finals with Sydney Roosters before heading to Japan.
Former Sunwolves and Yokohama Canon Eagles coach Keisuke Sawake has returned to Sungoliath, whom he guided to their most recent title in 2017.
The Fuchu-based club, who have recruited Irish winger James Lowe, begin against TJ Perenara’s much improved BlackRams Tokyo.
The Eagles, with All Blacks Samipeni Finau and Stephen Perofeta replacing Faf de Klerk and Liam Coltman, open in the Kanagawa derby against Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars.
Sagamihara welcome back Springbok winger Kurt-lee Arendse, after his seven-try debut on loan two years ago.
Last season’s runners up Kubota Spears added Springbok second-row Ruan Nortje to their roster, and start against Shizuoka BlueRevs, who have replaced Charles Piutau with Wallaby Hunter Paisami.
It is all change for Tochigi Honda Heat and Toshiba Brave Lupus when they meet, with Heat now Tochigi based, and under a new coach, as South African Marius Goosen replaces Kieran Crowley.
For the first time in four years, Brave Lupus will not have Todd Blackadder or Riche Mo’unga at the helm, with the head coach replaced by his former deputy Josh Symes, who will be assisted by Harlequins legend Nick Evans.
Springbok winger Aphelele Fassi, Scottish back-rower Jack Dempsey and All Black utility David Havili have also jetted in.
But the biggest boost is the return of Brave Blossoms skipper Warner Dearns, who will be hunting his fourth title in a row, after adding a Super Rugby championship with the Hurricanes to Toshiba’s back-to-back League One wins.
The competition runs for 18 rounds, which includes four bye weekends, totalling 206 games before the three-week playoffs rounds commence, with the final set for June 6.
