Division One

Shizuoka BlueRevs just won’t go away.

Ever since backrower Vueti Tupou scored in the 85th minute to pip Kobelco Kobe Steelers on opening day, well fancied rivals have been waiting for this season’s upstarts to return to the mid-table position from whence they came.

As the competition hits it’s midpoint, there is no evidence to suggest that Shizuoka will subside any time soon, with their momentum – which includes four wins away from their home base – having allowed the BlueRevs to keep in touch with their primary competitors in the race for the playoffs positions.

One of those is Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay, which makes Saturday’s third versus fourth clash another hurdle for Yuichiro Fujii’s men to clear as they endeavour to translate their grand start into a first semi-final appearance since Japan Rugby League One began four seasons ago.

The inspirational Kwagga Smith has been a big part of the story so far.

Often underrated in the test arena due to his largely bench role for the world champions, such is the respect with which the South African is held by his peers in Japan, he won the Player’s Player award at each of the league’s first two end-of- season awards.

The 51-test veteran was surely in the picture again last year until an adductor tendon injury removed him from the equation in the sixth match of the season.

It’s an indication of just how much Smith means to Shizuoka that the BlueRevs – having won two of their first four matches last term – won just four of the remaining 12 in the 31-year-old’s absence.

It is a sign of their development as a group in the time since that they have already managed to win a match this season without their captain.

The BlueRevs carry plenty of threat, boasting the competition’s leading try-scorer in winger Malo Tuitama, as well as the league’s most exciting newcomer, three-quarter Valynce Te Whare.

A former National Rugby League star for the Dolphins, the 24-year-old Te Whare has scored four tries so far in his maiden season in Japan – one of which was a length-of-the-field effort against Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath which went viral on social media – with his overall contribution a handy back up to the 10 tries collected by Tuitama.

Shizuoka head to Edogawa Athletic Stadium after a convincing 33-23 victory over Toyota Verblitz.

Malo Tuitama of Shizuoka BlueRevs, who leads in most tries

As well as opening a six-point gap between themselves and fifth-placed Yokohama Canon Eagles, the BlueRevs’ sixth win equalled their best return for a single season in the league.

This was achieved last year, with one of the wins coming when Shizuoka scored in referee’s time to beat the Spears 23- 19 in the first meeting between the sides, before repeating the act in the return fixture, when they missed the conversion of an 82nd minute try and were forced to settle for a 31-31 draw.

As the only side so far to defeat defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, the visitors will arrive with plenty of confidence, but they will be greeted by a Spears outfit that has lost just once, and had victory in their hands on that occasion, when they missed penalty and dropped goal attempts in the final moments of a two-point loss to Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights.

Champions two years ago, the Spears have returned to the consistency levels that marked that campaign, when they lost just once, undoubtedly helped by the lack of injury disruptions compared to their failed title defence, with the consistent presence of hooker Malcolm Marx a notable difference.

While not gorging himself on tries as much this time around, Marx is to the Spears what his countryman Smith is to the Blue Revs, and Kubota was much the poorer last term without their talisman.

Fresh off a 17th win-in-a-row in their on-going domination of Yokohama, the Wild Knights will be aiming to bring out the ‘business as usual’ sign as they entertain another side who is regularly ticked off in their win column, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars.

While Sagamihara have looked decidedly useful at times thus far – boosted by the six tries in eight matches scored by new recruit Kurt-lee Arendse – and are halfway to last season’s tally of six wins, their defence remains a major headache for coach Glenn Delaney.

Only bottom-placed Urayasu D-Rocks have let in more than their 311 points.

This is not a great omen ahead of a visit to the league’s leading point-scorers, who currently average 39.5 per game, and have put 235 points, including 34 tries, past the Dynaboars in 320 minutes of playing time since Sagamihara returned to Division One three seasons ago.

After failing to go the distance against the Wild Knights, the Eagles face a potentially tricky trip to Suzuka where a Mie Honda Heat side awaits them that rediscovered their mojo during last weekend’s dramatic 38-37 win over Sagamihara.

Former Canada and Italy coach Kieran Crowley’s men hadn’t won since the end of December prior to that victory, but are just five points from the playoffs positions, albeit also only four from a position in the end-of-season Replacement Battle.

After appearing comfortable among the playoff mix for all the season to date, the situation is starting to get dicier for the fifth-placed Eagles, who would drop out of the top six with a fifth defeat of the season if Sungoliath and Kobe win against Urayasu and Toyota Verblitz respectively.

Suntory have never played newly promoted Urayasu before but won their last 12 games against D-Rocks’ forerunner, Shining Arcs, while the latter contest in Osaka brings together two of the most inconsistent sides in the division, capable on their day, but with split personalities.

While their respective league positions don’t suggest it, plenty of stars will be coming out to play when they meet, with the celebrity ‘power’ going beyond the playing field, given Saturday’s contest pits ex-All Black coaches Steve Hansen and Ian Foster against the former Wallaby boss Dave Rennie.

Although Hansen never coached against his Kobe counterpart in the test arena, his sidekick Ian Foster did, with the All Black coach having much the better of the rivalry, wining seven of the nine matches played, with another drawn, between 2020 and 2022.

Dave Rennie, who leads Kobelco Kobe Steelers, the ex-Wallabies HC

Brave Lupus coach Todd Blackadder worked with the Ricoh Black Rams’ mentor Tabai Matson, and his assistant Joe Maddock, at the Crusaders (Maddock also assisted Blackadder during his time at Bath), but the friendships will be on hold for 80 minutes as both sides look to build on encouraging results last time.

The defending champions continue to show they are not going to give up their title lightly, with last Saturday’s win in the Fuchu Derby one of their best of the season so far, but Ricoh could be a sticky opponent, having beaten Sungoliath themselves, while also asking questions of each of the Wild Knights, Spears and Blue Revs during losses where the scoreboard didn’t reflect the level of competition in the game.

Black Rams skipper TJ Perenara has been outstanding since joining from the (Wellington) Hurricanes, and the scrumhalf will be a major threat as he tangles with his ex-All Black teammates Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell for the first time since his return to Japan.

Division Two

Having brought Red Hurricanes Osaka’s unbeaten start to an end following an 85th minute try in a meritorious 27-20 win two weeks ago, Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex will be out to put the skids under Hanazono Kintetsu Liner too, when the sides meet at Nagasaki.

While Voltex were off duty last weekend, fourth-placed Kintetsu haven’t stripped for action since February 2, which could make them vulnerable against an opponent who has won one more match and sits one point above them on the points table.

After a sluggish opening, which saw a draw and two losses, the break came at the wrong time for long-time Wallaby Quade Cooper and his teammates, with Hanazono starting to build up momentum following back-to-back wins over Nippon Steel Kamasihi Seawaves and NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu.

The latter need a change of fortunes after losses in the last two – one a 42-0 drubbing by Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi – dropped them into a mid-table position.

The Green Rockets host a similarly placed Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks who were also outclassed by the Shuttles in their most recent outing.

In a division that boasts five test flyhalves, two feature in Saturday’s teams, with All Black and Samoa international Lima Sopoaga likely to suit up against Rhys Patchell of Wales when he enters off the Shimizu bench.

After having their winning run stopped at four, Red Hurricanes conceded their spot at the top of the standings to the Shuttles last weekend, but with the latter on the sidelines, the Osaka outfit can retake the lead when they host a Hino Red Dolphins side who have won just once.

Division Three

Having rediscovered their winning touch with three straight wins, Wycliff Palu’s Kurita Water Gush Akishima now host Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima, who last weekend endured the experience of losing for the first time this season, when defeated in the second of their city’s three derbies.

The SkyActivs crushed Water Gush 57-13 at home in the first game between the two sides for the year, having lost two out of three meetings last season when the men from Akishima edged their Hiroshima counterparts in the race for a shot at The Replacement Battle.

The last four matches between the sides have yielded an aggregate of 262 points.

The SkyActivs’ first loss of the season came in handy for second-placed Sayama Secom Rugguts, who lost little ground on the section leaders as a result, despite coming up short themselves in a 40-33 defeat by Akishima.

With those two playing each other, the Rugguts could be able to take advantage the following day when they visit a LeRIRO Fukuoka side still searching for its maiden win.

Having returned to winning form in the Hiroshima derby, Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions will be seeking to go back-to-back for the second time in the campaign when they host Yakult Levins, whom they beat 26-20 as part of their first batch of wins.