Division One

The pain goes on!

Eight matches since the game resumed after the Covid pandemic and Toyota Verblitz are still to beat the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan Rugby League One, with today’s entertaining 38-22 defeat stretching the tale of woe to 16 losses from the last 17 meetings between the clubs.

While poor goal-kicking and missed opportunities cost Toyota in front of the 13,000-strong crowd at Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu, Verblitz struggled at times to live with the speed of the Wild Knights, most notably in transition, with poor option taking at times coughing up possession to Saitama too easily.

Springbok inside centre Damien de Allende was one of the chief beneficiaries, scoring two tries and setting up a third, while ex-Sydney Roosters rugby league star Joseph Manu came off the bench to involve himself in the final two tries of the afternoon for Verblitz, scoring one and setting up the other.

The Wild Knights, who claimed their 50th win of the regular season (from 53 matches) since League One began four seasons ago, are already five points clear at the top of the standings as Division One heads into its first bye weekend.

In further good news for the league leaders and for the Springboks, second rower Lood de Jager made his first appearance since suffering a serious shoulder injury in the first half of last year’s final, coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes.

The 32-year-old has endured a wretched run over the last two years, missing both his country’s successful Rugby World Cup defence in 2023 due to a rare chest issue, before the damaged shoulder wiped out the last test season.

Rugby paid its respect to the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin earthquake, with players and management from the Kobelco Kobe Steelers attending a special remembrance candle lighting ceremony in the city early on Friday morning,

before suiting up today to end a solemn week by outclassing Urayasu D-Rocks 50-22.

The magnitude 7.3 earthquake, which struck the southern part of the Hyogo prefecture at 5.46am on the morning of January 17, damaged or destroyed nearly 400,000 buildings, while it was estimated over 6400 people (out of a then resident population of 1.5 million) lost their lives in nearby Kobe.

Understandably the biggest week of the year in the prefecture, the Steelers donned a special one-off jersey as part of the remembrance before they swamped winless Urayasu with seven tries, three by winger Kanta Matsunaga.

All Blacks Brodie Retallick and Ngane Laumape kicked off the scoring with Kobe’s opening tries, while the competition’s leading point-scorer from last term, ex-Super Rugby flyhalf Bryn Gatland, made a welcome return for the home side, kicking 15 points in his first start for the season.

A maiden league try by Springbok backrower Jasper Wiese helped close D-Rocks to within seven points heading into the final 25 minutes, but Matsunaga’s second try got the scoreboard moving again for Kobe, and the 25-year-old’s third of the day made the game safe.

Kobelco Kobe Steelers donned a special one-off jersey as part of the remembrance

This afternoon’s third match saw Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath – after back-to-back draws – finally land boss Kosei Ono a first win as head coach, after 17 points from flyhalf Mikiya Takamoto as well as tries from Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe, and ex-Wallaby backrower Sean McMahon, led the visitors to a 27-19 win over Mie Honda Heat at Suzuka Gardens.

Sungoliath had won 12 of the last 13 matches they had played outside of the Tokyo prefecture, and were unbeaten in eight against Honda, but they were outscored three-tries-to-two, and had Takamoto’s goalkicking accuracy to thank in the end, notably in the last 10 minutes where his penalty and dropped goal steadied the Suntory nerves, after Heat had clawed their way back to 21-19 entering that period.

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo suffered their first defeat since March on Saturday after an inspired Shizuoka Blue Revs bounced back from last weekend’s drubbing at the hands of Yokohama Canon Eagles by derailing the defending champions 34-28 at a raucous Yamaha Stadium, snapping their 13-game unbeaten run in the process.

Despite the concession of a fourth minute try to the returning Brave Lupus flyhalf Richie Mo’unga, the Blue Revs stuck to their guns, edging ahead after the first of two tries by the exciting former Waikato centre from New Zealand’s national provincial championship, Valynce Te Whari.

The 24-year-old scored again in the second half, while dual international Charles Piutau grabbed his first try of the season, as the home side pushed to a 34-14 advantage, before Brave Lupus rallied.

Charles Piutau of Shizuoka Blue Revs

Tries by ex-All Black centre Seta Tamanivalu and Maori All Blacks midfielder Rob Thompson brought Brave Lupus to within six but the Blue Revs – who had conceded 102 points in the two meetings between the sides last season – defended stoutly through the game’s final 11 minutes to claim the win.

Edogawa Stadium saw more second half heartbreak for Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo, as Tabai Matson’s men surrendered a halftime advantage for the third time in four defeats during their 26-18 loss to Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay.

The visitors opened the scoring when All Black TJ Perenara – playing out of position at flyhalf – scored his first try as a Black Ram, and led 15-11 at the break, but they could not hold onto their advantage as the Spears scored the only tries of the second half to snatch the win, with Ricoh once again finishing just short of the loser’s bonus point.

After a slow start, the Eagles’ season is building up speed, with Yokohama scoring seven tries as they burnt Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars 47-21 in the Kanagawa derby to record their third consecutive win.

Such was the Eagles’ dominance, the Dynaboars – who had scored nine tries in the last two weeks – didn’t trouble the scoreboard attendant until the 57th minute, by which time Yokohama led 26-0.

Eagles backrower and stalwart Amanaki Leilei Mafi scored twice among his side’s seven tries, Springbok centre Jesse Kriel backed up last week’s double with a try, while there was also a maiden score for the ex-Ireland age-grade second rower Cormac Daly, two minutes after taking the field for his fourth appearance in the league.

Divisions Two & Three

Red Hurricanes Osaka remain the team to catch in Division Two after maintaining their unbeaten run with a comfortable 38-19 win over Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks at Yanmar Stadium yesterday.

Two tries by talismanic backrower Blake Gibson, as well former Bath second rower Elliot Stooke’s first try in Japan, helped the home side to a 28-5 lead, before the Blue Sharks salvaged some respectability with two tries in the final quarter.

Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi leap-frogged NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu into second, flattening Wayne Pivac’s men 42-0, with ex-England flyhalf Freddie Burns bagging 17 points to move to within one of a half century for the season.

That table is led by Red Hurricanes fullback Yasuki Yamaguchi whose 13 points against the Blue Sharks took his tally to 53.

Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex were the section’s third victor, recording their first win in four attempts against Hino Red Dolphins, after a 30-25 win at Tokyo’s AGF Field.

The loss leaves the Red Dolphins winless in their last seven outings.

Division Three saw Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima backrower Jackson Pugh grab a hattrick today as his side outclassed Yakult Levins Toda 45-13 to maintain their winning start to the season.

The SkyActivs’ seven-tries-to-one victory was their fourth of the current campaign, already equalling last season’s return, which was achieved in 12 matches.

Sayama Secom Rugguts are hot on their heels after trouncing Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions 54-15 for their third win.

Former Super Rugby player Chase Tiatia is keeping up his excellent start to life in Japan, scoring his fifth and sixth tries as the newcomers marked their first away match in the league with a powerful display.

Flyhalf Daniel Waite has also been in fine form, with today’s 18 points taking his season tally to 59 from four matches, the first player in the section to surpass the half century mark.

Kurita Water Gush Akishima won the battle at the bottom, crushing Le RIRO Fukuoka 64-26 to record their first win of the season.