Division One

Malcolm Marx led Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay into their second Japan Rugby League One final in three years after his side held off Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights 28-24 in a gripping second semi-final today.

The Springbok hooker, who was sorely missed during last year’s failed title ‘defence’ after rupturing his medial ligament at the Rugby World Cup, scored his 10th try of the season in the third minute to give his side momentum, and the Wild Knights were always a step behind in the game from there.

The impressive Shinobu Fujiwara bagged the Spears’ second try of the opening 10 minutes when he charged down an ambitious attacking kick from inside his own territory by Takuya Yamasawa, with the manner of the mistake symbolising his side’s performance.

Shinobu Fujiwara of Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay was named Player of the Match after scoring two tries

The Wild Knights fullback was a fraction too slow in his execution which allowed the Kubota scrumhalf to capitalise, and the deficiency seemed to repeat throughout the contest, with the Spears generally having the answers when they needed them.

Although their supremacy came under threat in the second half, when quickfire tries by winger Koki Takeyama and flyhalf Kyohei Yamasawa, saw the Wild Knights reel in a 15-point halftime deficit to close to 25-24, the Spears’ game management through the final 22 minutes was almost flawless, holding their rivals scoreless when it counted.

The win sets up a decider against Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, with Sunday’s winner to become the first team to have graced the victory dais in League One twice, after the Spears prevailed in 2022-23, and Brave Lupus last season.

The defending champions were too strong for Kobelco Kobe Steelers yesterday, overpowering the Kansai-based outfit with a 24-0 second spell, following a first half arm-wrestle that ended with Brave Lupus 7-3 in front.

After averaging five tries a match through the regular season, Kobe were unable to break down the well organised Toshiba defence, creating opportunities but lacking the finishing polish as they were held scoreless for the final 77 minutes of the 31-3 defeat.

Former Maori All Black midfielder Rob Thompson, who has now scored 11 tries during his best season in Japan, scored a try in each half for Brave Lupus, bulldozing his way over for the first off the back of a strong charge from Brave Lupus skipper Michael Leitch, before collecting an errant pass to run 30 meters for the last try of the game.

Such was the Brave Lupus dominance they could have added two more to their four-try tally, twice having tries ruled out, one for a slight knock on by Toshiba’s king pin Richie Mo’unga in the lead-up to his international teammate Shannon Frizell running 30 meters to dot down under the posts.

It was the only blemish on a day where the All Black flyhalf appeared to have the ball on a string, twice executing 40/20 field kicks alongside five goals from as many attempts, which included a sideline conversion and a 45-meter penalty goal.

Richie Mo'unga of Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, who dominated the game with his precise play selection and versatile kicking

The final margin, as a weary defence gave up two late tries, was harsh on a battling Kobe outfit after a much-improved season which saw former Wallaby coach Dave Rennie’s side qualify for the semi-finals for the first time since the most recent of the club’s two nationwide league titles in 2018.

Replacement Battles

Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi staged an exhilarating comeback to beat Urayasu D-Rocks 43-42 in the first leg of their Replacement Battle promotion/relegation series at Wave Stadium yesterday.

Memories of disasters past would have come flooding back for the Division Two champions – who had trailed by 38 and 18 points respectively following the first legs of their previous two visits to the Replacement Battle – after they leaked four converted tries in the opening 14 minutes to trail the Division One side 28-0.

Wallaby inside centre Samu Kerevi was among the try-scorers during D-Rocks’ early rampage, running in from 40 meters out in just the third minute, after second rower Lourens Erasmus had scored from the kick off.

When ex-England backrower Nathan Hughes burst through the middle of a lineout drive to score his third try for the club from just four appearances, the clock had just ticked into its 13th minute, and a rout appeared likely.

It didn’t happen due to the tenaciousness of the Shuttles, led by their departing English flyhalf Freddie Burns, who started the comeback with a perfect chip to the goal line which set up winger Hiroaki Saito’s first try of the game.

Samoa international Taleni Sau was driven over in a rolling maul, and by the time ex-Super Rugby winger Chance Peni had been worked over in the corner following a superb wide ball from Burns, the Shuttles had cut the deficit to nine points at halftime, and the game was well and truly on.

The lead changed hands five times in the second period as the sides wrestled for the first leg advantage, with Israel Folau galloping down the touchline to score his second try of the season, while Kerevi claimed his second of the match, and 11th from 15 appearances in the campaign, after exposing some disorganised midfield defence.

The muscular Wallaby’s try looked like it would allow Urayasu to take a six-point series-lead back to Tokyo after it was scored with five minutes to play.

The Shuttles still had one last card to play though, and it was once again played by Burns, who again spotted space on the edge and threaded a kick through for Saito to repeat their first half play in the 83rd minute, with the 26-year-old scoring his second try to give the Shuttles the narrowest of series leads.

After missing his opening attempt of the game, man-of-the-match Burns kicked six from seven, including the sideline conversion of the Saito’s second try to seal the Shuttles’ opening day win.

The other Replacement Battle between Division One and Two also provided a frantic finale, with Mie Honda Heat crossing twice in the last eight minutes to grab a 29-25 win over Hanazono Kintetsu Liners in Osaka.

Bidding to give veteran Wallabies Quade Cooper and Will Genia promotion as a send-off from Osaka, Kintetsu made much of running, leading 15-7 at halftime, and 22-12, after the former Australian scrumhalf had split the defence, putting try- scoring winger Tomoya Kimura into a gap with 15 minutes to play.

The Division One side wasn’t going to go quietly though, and former Wallaby fullback Tom Banks carried two defenders, including the luckless Cooper, over the goal line from the re-start to close the gap, setting up a grandstand finish where tries by fullback Kengo Gunji and flyhalf Gwangtee Oh in the 75th and 83rd minutes respectively broke Kintetsu hearts.

Heat wound up ahead five-tries-to-three, with the first of those scored by Springbok second rower Franco Mostert, who had also barged through Cooper’s tackle to score.

The try-count will be crucial if the two sides finish level on points scored at the end of next week’s second game.

New boys Sayama Secom Rugguts have given themselves a great chance of promotion in their first season of League One after holding Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks to a two-point advantage in the Replacement Battle between Divisions Two and Three, following a fascinating first leg at Yumenoshima.

Shimizu didn’t help themselves when flyhalf Hayden Cripps, who had come into game after All Black Lima Sopoaga’s late withdrawal, was red carded for dangerous play in the 23rd minute.

While his dismissal didn’t prove ruinous, it was not until Rugguts inside centre TJ Faiane was also red carded for dangerous play, two minutes from time, that the Blue Sharks were able to grab their slim series lead, with winger Essendon Tuitupou’s try securing a 17-15 win.

Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves will head south for the second leg with a spring in their step after putting space between themselves and Mazada Sky Activs Hiroshima following a convincing 33-14 win by the seaside in Iwate.

The Division Three champions were caught in a first half storm, as the Seawaves ran in four tries for a 27-0 lead.

Although ill-discipline got the better of the home side in the second spell, with winger Ryuji Abe and veteran backrower Sam Henwood both yellow carded, the SkyActivs were held to two tries, critically being held scoreless during a five- minute period when the Seawaves had just 13 men on the field.

While the SkyActivs averaged 41.5 points per game at home during their title-winning campaign, they face a big task trying to overturn a 19-point deficit when the teams meet again.