Division One

The Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights have returned to summit while the team they beat in last year’s semi-final, Yokohama Canon Eagles, are looking less likely to feature in this season’s playoffs, after the latest round of Japan Rugby League One was completed in Osaka today.

Panasonic are back at the top-of-the-table courtesy of Shizuoka BlueRevs shock 56-26 thumping of Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo yesterday, which completed a season double for the club on the southern side of Mt Fujii against the defending champions.

The Wild Knights had earlier turned on the power after halftime on Friday night to storm to a 53-33 win over Mie Honda Heat, which has them three points clear of Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay, who also leapt above Toshiba following today’s 30-10 win against Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath at a damp Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka.

It was the result 24 hours earlier that provided the weekend’s talking point though, with a Shizuoka side that was without talismanic skipper Kwagga Smith showing no signs of weakness as they put a surprisingly flat Brave Lupus to the sword in the opening period, romping to a 26-0 lead.

Leading try-scorer Malo Tuitama’s 11th of the season – but first for seven matches – got things going, with backrower Margene Ilaua, fullback Sho Okumura and second rower Justin Sangster each joining him on the scoresheet before the break, as Brave Lupus struggled to find an answer to the visitor’s physicality and dominance in contact.

While they finally found a response when Brave Blossoms second rower Warner Dearns scored shortly after play resumed, the BlueRevs maintained their assault, scoring four further tries, one of which went to flyhalf Sam Greene.

The Australian finished with 21 points, including a try, as he became the seventh player to surpass three figures.

The win punched the BlueRevs’ ticket for the playoffs – most likely in a top four ranking – with three games to go, after having finished eighth in each of the previous three editions of League One.

Shizuoka BlueRevs' shocking win over Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, 56-26, with BlueRevs flyhalf Sam Greene scoring 21 points, including a try

Beaten finalists in the last two seasons after having finished top at the end of the regular season, the Wild Knights are back in familiar territory after mastering the combination of a wet night, the threat of a lightening-enforced abandonment, and a game Heat outfit, to claim maximum points in Tokyo.

Saitama’s positive start included a third try in the last two matches from Marika Koroibete, after he was put outside his marker following a superb wide ball by Springbok midfielder Damien de Allende, but the Wallaby winger limped out of the game shortly after, while his side hobbled into halftime as Honda exploited space at the back to twice score off kicks.

After fighting back from 19-5 down to draw level at the break – and threaten to do so again when Wallaby fullback Tom Banks scored their fourth try of the night off another kick to pull his side back to within eight points midway through the second period – Honda self-destructed, losing hooker Koki Hida and backrower Ryota Kobayashi to yellow cards within four minutes of each other.

The Wild Knights led 34-26 when Hida departed.

By the time he returned, hooker Atsushi Sakate and backrower Jack Cornelsen had both crossed from forward drives to make the game safe for Saitama, who finished with an eight-try-to-five victory.

Yokohama’s season was ended in the semi-finals in each of the last two seasons by the Wild Knights, but the chances of Keisuke Sawaki’s side making the playoffs for the third year in a row are getting dicier after Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars administered the Eagles’ seventh defeat from their last nine outings with a 38-28 win.

Sagamihara made light of the absence of Springbok star Kurt-Lee Arendse, with the Eagles battling at times with the speed and power of the Dynaboars’ outside backs, most notably the two-try Fijian-born winger Joape Nako.

His second sealed the win after Yokohama had kept pace in a first half that ended 21-21, with Springbok centre Jesse Kriel and Wallaby second-rower Matthew Philip each a try-scorer for the Eagles.

Although the Eagles ended the weekend only one point outside of the top six, a run home that features Shizuoka, Kobelco Kobe Steelers and Brave Lupus doesn’t inspire confidence.

The four points have kept the Dynaboars in the hunt for the playoffs, although three wins will most likely be required,one of which would need to be achieved against Brave Lupus.

Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo, who are one point above Mitsubishi, have perhaps the better chance of emerging from the pack, especially as they play one of their chief rivals for sixth, Suntory, in the penultimate round.

TJ Perenara comprehensively won today’s duel between the ex-All Black scrumhalves, with the Black Rams skipper leading his side to a 37-7 win over a toothless Toyota Verblitz, who would have been held scoreless had South African second rower Adre Smith not scored two minutes from time.

Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo won out against Toyota Verblitz, highlighted by a showdown between former All Black scrum halves TJ Perenara and Aaron Smith

The Black Rams picked up a valuable bonus point from a win which was just their third success from the last 20 appointments against a Verblitz outfit that still sits dangerously close to the post-season promotion/relegation series, just two points above 11th-placed Heat.

The forward power of the Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay pack proved too much for Sungoliath in tailor-made conditions at a wet Hanazono Rugby Stadium, with Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx continuing his fine form by scoring the sixth try of his last seven appearances, as the 2022-23 champions moved up to second after today’s 30-10 win.

With ex-Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley able to dictate play behind his forwards, Kubota played most of the game in Suntory territory, while their suffocating work on defence limited the impact of their opponent’s dangerous outside backs.

Suntory weren’t helped when ex-All Black skipper Sam Cane, back after a three-game absence due to Covid, was forced from the field early in the second half after suffering a blow to his upper shoulder.

The return of All Black Brodie Retallick did the trick for Kobelco Kobe Steelers, with the second rower scoring his ninth try of the season as his side came from 12-7 down at halftime to add to Urayasu D-Rocks’ troubles with a 33-20 victory.

The Kobe skipper missed last week’s 11-try mauling by Brave Lupus, but made his presence felt in the 44th minute when forced his way over from close to the goal-line to wrest the lead for his side.

The try was the first of four Dave Rennie’s side scored in the second half to finally shake off D-Rocks, who had been led to their halftime advantage by the eighth try of the season from Wallaby midfielder Samu Kerevi, who continues to impress in a team that is struggling.

Although Urayasu can still mathematically avoid finishing in the bottom two places, that door could be closed should they lose against Brave Lupus when Division One resumes after Easter.

Divisions Two & Three

NEC Green Rockets continue to respond positively as Hanazono Kintetsu Liners throw down the gauntlet in the race for the top two, chasing down the required try-scoring bonus during an emphatic 45-15 win over Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks in Division Two yesterday, which maintained their place in one of the section’s two promotion series places.

Because of the early evening start, Wayne Pivac’s men kicked off with the knowledge that anything but a win would allow Kintetsu to sneak above them after Quade Cooper’s side had romped to a maximum-point earning 48-31 win over the faltering Red Hurricanes in the Osaka derby earlier in the afternoon.

While All Black Lima Sopoaga gave the Blue Sharks a bright start by scoring the opening try, the Green Rockets quickly took command, and ended the day with seven themselves, to stay four points ahead of Kintetsu on the standings.

The pair will most likely settle the squabble for second when they face each other on May 3.

Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi were untroubled in maintaining their six-point lead at the top-of-the-table, inspired by an eight-minute hattrick in the first half from ex Western Force and Brumbies midfielder Chance Peni in their 40-23 win over Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves at Iwate.

While injury has restricted the former Southland (New Zealand) Boys’ High School product to six appearances this season, the 31-year-old has more than made the most of those opportunities, scoring eight tries.

Hino Red Dolphins gained a vital third win as centre Sora Ouchi scored in the final play to inflict back-to-back last-minute defeats on Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex, with Friday’s 36-33 reverse following on from the 26-23 loss to the Shuttles, where the fatal blow had been delivered by the concession of a 79th minute try.

In each instance, Voltex had a man in the sinbin when the last score was conceded.

An 81st minute try by ex-Western Force scrumhalf Jake Abel may prove to be the most significant play of the Division Three season, recovering an all-important bonus point for Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima from their 41-35 defeat by second- placed Sayama Secom Rugguts at Balcom BMW Stadium.

The league leaders would have been joined at the top-of-the-table by the Rugguts without the former Super Rugby man’s try, which gives Hiroshima a one-point lead with three matches to play.

Sayama’s success has maintained their healthy seven-point advantage over third-placed Kurita Water Gush Akishima, whom they face on the final weekend of the regular season.

Water Gush will need one of Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions or Yakult Levins Toda to do them a favour by upsetting the Rugguts if the chase for a place in The Replacement Battle is to remain alive when the teams meet on May 10.

Wycliff Palu’s men are doing their best to stay in the fight, recording a fifth win in a row from a remarkable contest against Yakult Levins Toda, where just five points separated the pair at halftime before Water Gush piled on eight converted tries and 56 points to run out 68-14 victors.

The first match of the round, which was played at the end of March, saw Le RIRO Fukuoka record their maiden league win after beating Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions 33-17.