What to watch in men's rugby: RWC final re-run for All Black and Springbok

The reigning Japan Rugby League One champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo will be in action this weekend live and free on RugbyPass TV.

Having made a blistering start to this season, winning four of their opening five matches, Todd Blackadder’s side will travel to Suzuka Sports Garden to face a Mie Honda Heat side in free-fall currently having lost their last three matches.

Honda will be boosted by the return of double World Cup winner Franco Mostert in the second-row. The Springbok has been named to start after missing last week’s loss to Tokyo Sungoliath and managing fewer than 20 minutes the week before against Saitama Wild Knights.

Mostert will likely be up against former All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo’unga in what will be their second meeting since the 2023 World Cup final. The Kiwi was able to exact revenge on the South African in January last year as Toshiba won 40-12, but missed the second encounter later in the year which Toshiba were also victorious in.

Fixture

Japan Rugby League One

Mie Honda Heat

12 - 35

Full-time

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

All Stats and Data

Mo’unga’s side will be hoping to keep the pressure on unbeaten league leaders Saitama Wild Knights, who hold a five-point lead over second-place Toshiba. Honda, meanwhile, will be looking to get their season back on track.

You can see who will come out on top live and for free via RugbyPass TV, except in Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sunday, February 2

03:10 GMT/ 12:10 local time – Mie Honda Heat vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, Suzuka Sports Garden – WATCH LIVE HERE

Mie Honda Heat XV
1 Tatsuhiko Tsurukawa
2 Koki Hida
3 Katsuyuki Hoshino
4 Mark Abbott
5 Franco Mostert
6 Pablo Matera
7 Tony Hunt
8 Talifolofola Tangipa
9 Azuma Doei
10 Hayata Nakao
11 Lomano Lemeki
12 Fraser Quirk
13 Johnny Fa’auli
14 FC du Plessis
15 Tom Banks

Replacements
16 Ikuma Yamada
17 Takumi Fujii
18 Feinga Fakai
19 Ryoma Nishimura
20 Jan Hendrik Swanepoel
21 Taichi Takenaka
22 Kyogo Okano
23 Ryo Furuta