Wallaby shines, ex-England backrow scores but Eddie Jones gets last laugh
Bernard Foley came out on top in the battle of the Wallaby fly-halves as Funabashi Tokyo Bay beat Matt Toomua’s Sagamihara Dynaboars 60-22 in Tokyo to retain second place in Japan Rugby League One.
Foley contributed 16 points to the win, becoming the first player in the league this season to surpass a century, ending the day with 102 points to his name.
Sunday’s win keeps the Spears hot on the heels of the league-leading Saitama Wild Knights, who extended their remarkable unbeaten on-field streak in the league to 40 games after comfortably disposing of Will Genia’s Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 41-6 at Kumagaya on Saturday.
While Saitama coach Robbie Deans used the opportunity against the league’s bottom side to rest several key players, including the Wallabies’ star winger Marika Koroibete, the Wild Knights still scored six tries in their victory, with former Hurricanes centre Vince Aso and former Chiefs flanker Lachlan Boshier grab bing five-pointers.
Wallaby coach Eddie Jones will have been happy with the team he advises, Tokyo Sungoliath, after it retained third position on the competition ladder with a hard-fought 18-7 win over the Ricoh Black Rams.
Former England No. 8 Nathan Hughes scored his first try for the Black Rams, but the Auckland-educated Fijian’s effort was not enough to bring down Sungoliath, who kept Ricoh pointless in the second half.
After being held scoreless for their last 224 minutes of play across three matches, Michael Cheika’s Green Rockets Tokatsu finally cracked it, when former Crusaders backrow Whetukamokamo Douglas rumbled across for the opening try at Toyota Verblitz, as part of a rolling maul.
The try was one of two the Green Rockets managed against Toyota, but they weren’t enough to knock off Steve Hansen’s men, who came from behind to claim a 21-18 victory.
The Toyota attack was sparked by the clever moving of the regular Springbok fullback Willie le Roux to fly-half, with the South African having a hand in all three Verblitz tries as he relished the opportunity to play in the first receiver role.
It rained tries at Oita on Saturday as Yokohama Eagles and Brave Lupus Tokyo shared 15 between them, with Faf de Klerk’s Eagles winning 59-48.
Yokohama took the points to consolidate their hold on fourth position, five points ahead of fifth-placed Toshiba on the ladder.
There was only one game in the lower divisions this weekend, but it was a memorable occasion for Werribee, Victoria, born Jake Abel.
The former Western Force halfback scored a try eight minutes into his Japan Rugby League One debut to help the previously winless Skyactives Hiroshima hammer the Wycliff Palu-coached Kurita Water Gush Akishima 38-5.
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