Wallaby legend Will Genia gets first red card at 36
Former All Black backrower Shannon Frizell joined Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights midfielder Dylan Riley as the leading individual try-scorer in Japan Rugby League One, after scoring his sixth of the season as Toshiba Brave
Lupus Tokyo stayed unbeaten after today’s 28-12 win over Toyota Verblitz.
The 29-year-old’s try, which came with 11 minutes remaining, saw Brave Lupus move beyond a seven-point margin, which they added to four minutes later when centre Yotu Mori scored their third try of the afternoon to confirm Toshiba’s sixth win of the campaign.
Earlier the anticipated match up between the All Black flyhalves Richie Mo’unga, and his predecessor in the position Beauden Barrett, lasted for just 16 minutes before the Verblitz man was withdrawn from the game. Barrett had converted the first of the two tries that were scored by winger Taichi Takahashi with the second, which came 17 minutes into the second half, closing Verblitz to within four at 16-12, before Toshiba’s powerful finish killed the game off.
Verblitz were not helped by the concession of two yellow cards, with both winger Viliame Tuidraki and second row Isaiah Mapusua spending time off the field.
The win keeps Brave Lupus hot on the heels of the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, with two points separating first and second on the championship table.
With Toshiba not involved in The Cross Border Rugby, the next outing for former All Black captain Todd Blackadder’s men will be on February 24 when they face fourth-placed Yokohama Canon Eagles.
You had to feel for Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo who were denied their second victory of the season after Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay featured in a dramatic finish for the second round in a row, as they snatched an 18-17 at Komazawa Olympic Park General Sports Ground.
After surrendering a 10-5 halftime advantage to trail 15-10 as the clock reached 80 minutes, Black Rams looked like they had stolen the game when their concerted pressure led to the award of a penalty try which put them in front by two points.
Having shown in the previous round that they will fight until the end when they scored a 79th minute try to pip Kobelco Kobe Steelers, the Spears did so again, winning a penalty two minutes later, which fullback Gerhard van den Heever goaled to break Black Rams’ hearts.
Handling the goal-kicking duties for a second match due to the absence of regular Kubota sharpshooter Bernard Foley, the South African-born fullback slotted three of his four attempts to get the defending champions home, despite their being out-scored three tries to two.
The win was a further tonic for the Spears in the final outing ahead of their clash with the Gallagher (Waikato) Chiefs in The Cross Border Rugby on February 10.
Yokohama Canon Eagles endured the opposite emotions ahead of their match against the (Auckland) Blues in The Cross Border Rugby, falling to a 31-27 defeat against a Bryn Gatland-inspired Kobelco Kobe Steelers who overhauled a 10-0 halftime deficit to snap a run of three consecutive defeats.
Despite missing the injured Springbok duo of scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and centre Jesse Kriel, who both remain confident of returning prior to the end of the season, Yokohama appeared unflustered as a converted try by Amanaki Lelei Mafi as well as a dropped goal by flyhalf Yu Tamura gave them a deserved lead.
Gatland scored two tries in eight minutes after the break, both of which he converted, to wrestle the advantage Kobe’s way, only for the Eagles to respond with further tries by second row Max Douglas and utility forward Sione Halasili, forging Yokohama ahead 27-14 with just 15 minutes remaining.
Unfortunately for last year’s semi-finalists, the Steelers weren’t done, scoring two tries in the final 10 minutes, along with Gatland’s first penalty goal of the game to inflict a second defeat of the season on Yokohama.
Fresh off the injuries to de Klerk and Kriel, Springbok boss Rassie Erasmus was given further concern by news that Shizuoka Blue Revs skipper Kwagga Smith has been ruled out for the rest of the competition after sustaining an adductor tendon injury.
Not that the loss of their inspirational skipper held the Blue Revs back in today’s match against the winless Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, who crumbled in the second half to lose 50-12 after a competitive first half where the visitors had scored two tries and closed to 19-12 at halftime.
A second and third try of his Japan Rugby League One career by the dual New Zealand/Tonga international Charles Piutau was a feature of the Shizuoka performance, while two professional fouls in eight minutes marked Kintetsu’s afternoon, which saw Kintetsu scrumhalf Will Genia suffer a red card.
While the sanction didn’t cost his side the game, as the visitors trailed 38-12 at the time, it was the first red card
to be awarded against the 36-year-old Wallaby in a distinguished representative career that has spanned 18 years.
The emphatic victory lifts Shizuoka to fifth on the table, two points behind fourth-placed Yokohama, which represents a great recovery after the Blue Revs lost their first two matches of the campaign.
Hanazono remain one point above Mie Honda Heat at the bottom of the table but will have to wait until February 24 to try again to get off the mark when they meet Kubota.
Division One now pauses for three weeks for The Cross Border Rugby, resuming on February 17 when Verblitz host Heat, while the Wild Knights host Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath in a clash which sees first play third.
The only match in Division Three today saw the Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions record their first win of the season when they beat cross-town rivals Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima 22-21.
Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttles Aichi meet Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex in the only Division Two fixture of the weekend tomorrow.
A review of this match will be included in the Official Preview of The Cross Border Rugby which will be distributed before those matches kick off.
Bryn, you beauty
Life in Japan hasn’t been the easiest for Kobelco Kobe Steelers flyhalf Bryn Gatland. The former Chief from Super Rugby has been playing well but has missed a few clutch kicks that have been the difference between winning and losing for his side. Not that anyone has blamed him, but even so, Gatland had additional cause to celebrate tonight as his 21 points shot down the Eagles. As well as being a major factor in Kobe snapping a three-match losing run, the haul lifted him to the top of the individual point-scoring rankings, tied with Saitama’s Brave Blossoms test flyhalf Rikiya Matsuda. Both players have 74 points to their names to date, seven ahead of the third placed Richie Mounga of Brave Lupus.
Sky falls in on SkyActivs
They hadn’t won all season, defaulted their previous match due to Covid, and trailed in the Hiroshima derby by 21-0 after 29 minutes. Game over for the Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions, right?
Actually no as it turned out, with the section’s bottom-placed side staging a remarkable comeback. Chugoku held their opponents point-less for the remaining 50 minutes, while scoring 22 themselves, to claim city bragging rights. Chasing a third win of the season, which would have matched their entire reward from last term, SkyActivs bounced out of the starting gates, scoring the opening three tries of the game, all of which were converted, to establish command. Facing what seemed an insurmountable deficit, the Red Regulions raised a flicker of hope when winger Kentarou Fujii scored four minutes before the break, and the momentum stayed with them for the remainder of the game. Two converted second half tries and a penalty goal put the Red Regulions in front for the first time, 11 minutes before the end, and the SkyActivs were unable to respond as Chugoku held on to record one of the most memorable wins in the club’s history.
Comments on RugbyPass
“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
5 Go to comments