Division One

Fortress Spears Edoriku Field has finally fallen.

Brodie Retallick’s Kobelco Kobe Steelers became the first side to prevail at the eastern Tokyo ground in 26 matches as his side came from behind to beat Kubota Spears 24-19 today, sealing top spot for the regular season of Japan Rugby League One in the process.

A tight first half saw the Spears outscore their visitors three-tries-to-two, with World Rugby Player of the Year Malcolm Marx opening the scoring for Kubota with his fifth try of the season.
Haruto Kida extended the lead to 14-3 when he scored his team’s second try, but the winger was subsequently yellow carded which swung the momentum as Kobe scored a try shortly before his departure, and one immediately after it to gain the advantage for the first time.

Their lead lasted just two minutes before Kubota’s Brave Blossoms backrower Faulua Makisi crossed for his 12th try of the campaign to allow the Spears to head to the sheds leading 19-17.
That was as good as it got for the home side, with Kobe’s Japanese international Tiennan Costley providing the only try of the second half six minutes after the New Zealand-born backrower had returned from the sin bin.
The win has given Kobe direct entry to the semi-finals, while Kubota must repeat last season’s feat when they won each of a quarter and semi-final to make the tournament decider.

The Spears were not the only side to be held scoreless in a half of rugby during the round with Toshiba Brave Lupus – who Kubota will play in the quarterfinal – unable to score at all in their loss to Saitama Wild Knights.
After putting 46 points on the defending champions without reply on opening day, the Wild Knights took Brave Lupus to the cleaners again yesterday, this time stopping at 45 as they bounced back from last week’s upset loss to Urayasu D-Rocks.

Having confirmed their spot in the playoffs with a week to spare, Brave Lupus coach Todd Blackadder opted not to bring flyhalf Richie Mo’unga with him to Kumagaya, and the All Black star was probably happy he had been able to give it a miss, as his teammates were overwhelmed by a four-try first half blitz that left Toshiba down, and almost out, trailing 26-0.
The one-way traffic continued after the break, with centre Tomoki Osada and winger Koki Takeyama scoring twice.

Takeyama’s double took his try tally for the campaign to 12 and equal fourth on the individual rankings, after he had topped the pile last term with 15.
Saitama finished the afternoon with seven tries, which took their tally across the two matches with the back-to-back title winners to 11 tries and 91 points without concession.

Seventeen points from Springbok star Cheslin Kolbe spearheaded Tokyo Sungoliath’s commanding 39-22 win over BlackRams Tokyo today, completing a regular season double over their capital city rivals ahead of another meeting between the teams in the quarterfinals.
Sungoliath were in front from the 12th minute when former (Waikato) Chiefs flyhalf Kaleb Trask scored the game’s opening try, with Kolbe posting his side’s third of the first half as they led 19-10.

While a try by ex-Wallaby backrower Liam Gill closed the gap to four straight after the break, the BlackRams did not score again as Sungoliath continued to dominate, with Trask scoring his side’s fifth try in the 80th minute to cap the 17-point win.

While not reaching the heights of last season’s incredible run to the playoffs with 14 wins, Shizuoka BlueRevs’ 42-15 victory over Yokohama Canon Eagles, coupled with Mie Honda Heat’s 38-26 defeat of Toyota Verblitz, secured seventh for Kwagga Smith’s side, which represented their second highest placing in the five seasons since League One inaugurated.
Departing Springbok star Faf de Klerk was left on the bench by Eagles coach Leon MacDonald.

By the time he entered for his 42nd and final league appearance at the start of the second half, Yokohama were behind 35-5, with Smith a try-scorer while winger Malo Tuitama had touched down twice.
The Brave Blossoms international ended his season with 11 tries, six coming in the final four matches, after having been the competition’s leading try-scorer two years ago when he finished with 15.

Honda moved up two places after their seventh win of the campaign, overtaking Yokohama and Toyota, with Flying Fijians hooker Tevita Ikanivere bookending his maiden season in League One by scoring his 10th try; the third most by a forward behind Retallick and Makisi.
The home side ran in five tries to lead 31-0 at the break, and while All Black Mark Telea spearheaded a revival with a double, Verblitz ran out of time, as Kieran Crowley’s side held on to end Steve Hansen’s reign as Toyota’s Director of Rugby on a flat note.

Having been in with a chance of the playoffs two weeks ago, the former All Black coaches’ charges ended in ninth, only one place ahead of last season, and a third consecutive finish in the bottom half, after landing fifth and sixth in the league’s first two editions.

Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars coach Glenn Delaney has a few problems to solve ahead of The Replacement Battle after his side sagged to its sixth defeat in a row following today’s 29-22 loss to a resurgent Urayasu D-Rocks.
Buoyed by last week’s upset win against the Wild Knights, D-Rocks held the initiative for most of a contest which at times represented a straight shootout between Urayasu flyhalf Hikaru Tamura and Dynaboars winger Matt Vaega.
Both players scored two tries, but the Urayasu man topped his opponent by two points, with the last of Tamura’s 19 points coming from a 70th minute converted try which broke a 22-22 deadlock.
Israel Folau, who is leaving the club at season's end, had earlier scored his eighth try of the campaign to help D-Rocks to a 17-8 halftime lead.

Division Two & Three

The Dynaboars will play Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi in the two-legged promotion/relegation series after Wallaby pivot Noah Lolesio won his head-to-head battle with Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok to help his side clinch back-to-back Division Two titles following today’s dramatic 34-27 win over Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.

The 26-year-old contributed 14 points, including the second half try that edged the Shuttles ahead by 11 points, which left Kintetsu – who needed to win to keep their season alive – in mortal danger.

A try by South African-born second-rower Ryno Pieterse, which Libbok converted, threw the home side a lifeline by slashing the gap to four, but Lolesio’s fourth successful goal a minute from time extended the margin to seven, wrapping up the title while ending Kintetsu’s season after three consecutive defeats.

Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks had put the pressure on Kintetsu yesterday when they secured what proved to be a decisive try-scoring bonus as they overpowered the Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves.
The 31-10 victory elevated the Blue Sharks into The Replacement Battle, with the tiebreaker in case of finishing level on log points in their favour following the 34-26 win over Kintetsu two weeks ago.

Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex closed another frustrating season with a six-point win over Hino Red Dolphins, who now have two weeks to prepare for a Replacement Battle against SkyActivs Hiroshima.

Division Three finished in remarkable fashion as the unbeaten record of the section champions became the last to fall across the entire league, when the SkyActivs were crushed 78-10 by runners-up, SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTs.
Winger Tomasi Naibaruwaga scored four tries as the RUGGUTS ran riot, exposing a much-changed SkyActivs XV.

Former Taranaki flyhalf from New Zealand’s national provincial championship, Daniel Waite, scored two tries among a 33-point haul, which extended his tally to 170 from 11 appearances.
This was 73 points ahead of his SkyActivs counterpart Issen Kano, who finished the regular season in second place.