Division One

Two seasons ago, Ricoh BlackRams Tokyo were fighting for survival as a Division One entity, forced to scrap their way to salvation in the post-season Replacement Battle.
On Saturday, they will attempt to extend their winning streak to five, and highlight their championship credentials in the process, when they come up against Saitama Wild Knights.

Although the Wild Knights boast a formidable record against the BlackRams – winning 21 of the last 22 – and were the last team to beat the TJ Perenara-skippered side, the margin was only seven points, and Saitama managed just one try.

Even after the euphoria of last weekend’s dramatic 83rd minute winner against old rivals Kubota Spears, Wild Knights coach Atsushi Kanazawa is sure to be warning his side against the dangers of overconfidence, with their recent run suggesting the BlackRams are far from finished yet.

After surviving a two-legged promotion/relegation series in the third edition of League One, the BlackRams made significant advances last term under the combined leadership of new coach Tabai Matson, and his All Black scrumhalf and captain.

Perenara, who had previously played for NTT DoComo Red Hurricanes, has been inspirational on his return to Japan, and it was no surprise that when the BlackRams needed a try in the final moments last weekend to get by Shizuoka BlueRevs, it was the captain who provided it.

Flyhalf Ichigo Nakakusu has blossomed in combination with the All Black, his confidence illustrated by his 131 points being top of the individual rankings, with celebrated test stars Bernard Foley (Kubota) and Richie Mo’unga (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo) among those in his wake.
While the BlackRams chase an upset, Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars are shooting for a second win over Tokyo Sungoliath in three weeks – and third in a row against the men from the capital’s west – as the teams reconvene at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium.

The Dynaboars stunned Sungoliath 34-15 two weeks ago, but the vanquished were missing a very important cog in their machine, Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe.
Just how important the 32-year-old was illustrated on Sunday when he dazzled with two tries and 28 points as Sungoliath routed Brave Lupus 60-21 in the Fuchu derby.
Ironically, Sagamihara will be without their 22-point star from the win, flyhalf Shun Miyake.

Dynaboars coach Glenn Delaney opted to make wholesale changes to the starting XV that tripped Sungoliath on last week’s visit to Hyogo, but it didn’t work out well, with Kobelco Kobe Steelers racing to a 47-0 halftime lead before eventually finishing up 61-10 victors to displace Kubota at the top-of-the-table.

Mitsubishi have made a habit out of troubling Sungoliath though, with this year’s 19-point win following up a 34-22 success last season, while their defeat in the corresponding game two years ago was by just two points, and Sungoliath needed an 83rd minute try to achieve their 36-34 success.

The round kicks off on the Shunbun no Hi (Vernal Equinox Day) holiday tomorrow when All Blacks coaches past and present go head-to-head, with incumbent Dave Rennie’s Kobe facing Yokohama Canon Eagles, prepared by Scott Robertson’s former assistant, Leon MacDonald.

MacDonald welcomed back star scrumhalf Faf de Klerk in what was only his side’s second win of the campaign last week when they edged Mie Honda Heat 31-26, and the Eagles’ first season coach will be hoping the Springboks’ influence continues to grow after he got through an hour’s work in his first appearance since opening day.
Even in de Klerk’s absence, Yokohama put up a good fight in their last meeting with Kobe, scoring three tries in the final eight minutes – two by their scrumhalf’s test teammate, centre Jesse Kriel – in January’s 38-32 defeat.
Kriel won’t feature in the return bout with his place taken by Super Rugby-veteran, Levi Aumua.

Urayasu D-Rocks conceded 48 points when they met the Spears last month, and things have continued to deteriorate for Graham Rowntree’s side, conceding scores of 41, 41, 78 and 59 in the time since.
This includes the concession of exactly 40 points in the second half of each of their last two defeats, against Kobe and Toyota Verblitz respectively.

While the return of midfielder Samu Kerevi after two games out couldn’t stem the tide last Sunday for a side on its worst losing run (seven games) since its’ forerunner the Shining Arcs lost nine in 2014, the Wallaby’s experience is going to be crucial if the 11th placed D-Rocks are to avoid appearing in the promotion/relegation series for a fifth straight season.

They might still be third on the standings, level on points with the Wild Knights and just two behind Kobe, but the Spears will have spent the lead up to the D-Rocks engagement licking their wounds after dropping their second match of the campaign, both of which have been conceded by scores after the 80th minute.
Malcolm Marx and Bernard Foley will play from the Kubota bench while Israel Folau is an absentee for Urayasu.

Although fourth-placed Sungoliath (36 points) are nine behind, which seems too far to catch up, Frans Ludeke’s men do have a tricky run to negotiate before the playoffs, if they are to claim a top two finish with its accompanying first round bye.

Sunday sees the four sides who appear to be vying for the sixth and final place in the post season square off, with sixth-placed Brave Lupus (25 points) hosting ninth-placed Honda (16), while seventh plays eighth when Toyota Verblitz (20) meet Shizuoka BlueRevs (17).

Even though the need for competition points is the most pressing priority for the defending champions, revenge won’t be too far from the minds of the fans, for whom it won’t have escaped that it was a 44-38 loss to Honda that triggered their current difficulties, with Brave Lupus yet to arrest a slide which started a week after all had
seemed well when they toppled the Spears.

Toshiba’s loss to Sungoliath last weekend was the fifth in a row. This is as many as in their previous 51 games combined.
It remains to be seen how damaging last weekend’s 41-point rout in the Fuchu derby is to the team’s psyche, but Heat will be hoping to capitalize, after enduring a frustrating afternoon themselves when they missed the opportunity to make ground on the top six following a slow start against Yokohama.

If they need additional inspiration, the Honda players need look no further than their indefatigable skipper Franco Mostert, with the Springbok workhorse who never stops, the competition’s top tackler with 167.

Having emerged as a playoff contender following three wins in four, their re-match with Toshiba begins a difficult run which will define Honda’s campaign, playing five of the current top six before the regular season ends.
It’s illustrative of the significance of the three weeks Toyota have had that only league leaders Kobe – who haven’t lost since the opening weekend – have a longer current unbeaten run than do Steve Hansen’s men.

If they can add a fourth straight win to their ‘collection’, as well a try-scoring bonus point, they could finish the round in the top six should Toshiba stumble again.

Shizuoka will take a win in any form after five losses on the bounce, but they do have a decent recent record against Verblitz from which to draw encouragement, having won the last three meetings between the teams, and all by double digit margins.