Division One

While their playing careers didn’t overlap, Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights coach Robbie Deans and his Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo counterpart Tabai Matson know each other well.

A dual international for the All Blacks as a non-cap player in 1995 and 1996, and later as a two-test performer for his country of birth Fiji, Matson was also a key ingredient in the Canterbury midfield when Deans announced his prowess as a topline coach by winning the province’s first title in the national provincial championship for 14 years.

This background adds an interesting flavour to their sides’ clash on Saturday, with the Wild Knights looking to retain their three-point advantage at the top of the Japan Rugby League One standings while the eighth-placed Black Rams bid to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Although seven wins and 33 points separate the two sides, Deans will be aware of the threat the visitors pose, with Matson having made encouraging progress in his maiden season after having replaced Australian Peter Hewat.

Such has been the Black Rams competitiveness, they have picked up seven bonus points alongside their five wins, which has been enough to keep Ricoh in touch with the sixth and final qualifying position for the playoffs.

One of Matson’s most significant decisions was the appointment of All Black TJ Perenara as captain, with the combative scrumhalf having been an inspirational figure since arriving in December, leading the on-field transformation of a side that played in the relegation series last term, into potential playoff material.

Completing the transition may require the achievement of a massive upset at Kumagaya, with sixth-placed Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath having the opportunity to extend their advantage over the chasing pack when they travel to Osaka for the second match in succession, this time for a date with Toyota Verblitz that is crucial for both sides.

Sungoliath were dealt with severely by Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay on their last visit to Kansai, although the 30- 10 defeat two weeks ago proved less damaging than it may have been had other results not fallen their way.

Kosei Ono’s side will need to make their own luck over the final stages of the campaign though, especially as they still have to play the Wild Knights as well, which makes a win over Verblitz non-negotiable.

Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, led by head coach Kosei Ono, must win this match against Toyota Verblitz at all costs

Steve Hansen’s 10th-placed side were surprisingly passive during their comprehensive 30-point defeat by the Black Rams two weeks ago and remain locked in a shootout with Kieran Crowley’s Mie Honda Heat to avoid falling into the end-of- season Replacement Battle against the Division Two runners-up.

Heat faces a tall order against a Kubota side that hasn’t lost since March 1, but the Spears need to maintain that record to hold third-placed Toshiba Brave Lupus at bay, given they have an appointment with the Wild Knights themselves in seven days’ time.

The try-scoring form of Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx, with seven to date, is one plus for the Spears heading into the game, alongside an amazing record at Spears Edoriku Field where they have won their last 23 matches.

Brave Lupus have had two weeks to stew over the shock of a second defeat by Shizuoka BlueRevs this year, with the manner of their demise arguably more damaging psychologically than the result itself.

Such is the tightness of the race for a top two finish, with its first week bye in the playoffs, that the defending champions dropped from first to third following their second defeat of the season.

This doesn’t need to be ruinous, with the two side’s above them still to play each other, but it does mean Todd Blackadder’s side can’t afford any more mistakes.

Nor can Friday night’s opponents, Urayasu D-Rocks.

Although last season’s Division Two champions retain a mathematical – if unlikely - chance of avoiding the relegation series, this door could be shut completely should Toshiba inflict their 14th defeat of the season, and Verblitz beat Suntory.

Despite the bleak outlook, Greig Laidlaw’s side will keep on fighting, having matched their opponents for much of the most recent outings, and the league’s bottom-placed side have been given a boost by the acquisition of Nathan Hughes until the end of the season.

The 22-cap former England backrower replaces injured Springbok Jasper Wiese, after being unable to play for his parent club following long-term injury, due to Ricoh registering a replacement to fill their quota for foreign test capped players.

Hughes adds significantly to Urayasu’s strike power, having scored 21 tries since he landed in Japan two seasons ago.

Yokohama Canon Eagles and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars remain in playoffs’ contention, although both have difficult assignments, with the Eagles facing the unenviable task of a trip to Shizuoka where the BlueRevs have lost just once all season.

The Dynaboars did beat Kobelco Kobe Steelers 34-26 in January, although their fifth-placed hosts will be well motivated to avenge that defeat as Dave Rennie’s side will most likely book their playoffs ticket should they prevail.

Kobe hasn’t featured in the post-season since 2018 when they won the Top League title.

Divisions Two & Three

While last week confirmed the spots in The Replacement Battle, Division Three looks set to go to the wire, with Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima and Sayama Secom Rugguts vying for the title.

SkyActivs’ emphatic 48-3 dismantling of Yakult Levins Toda was the perfect riposte to the Rugguts’ equally forceful 47-6 rout of Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions, 24 hours earlier.

With both facing matches they would be expected to win comfortably in the penultimate round, the identity of the division champions may not be known until fulltime in the final match of the regular season.

One matter now decided is that Kurita Water Gush Akishima will not be present in a third consecutive Replacement Battle, with last weekend’s upset 37-26 defeat by a vastly improved Le RIRO Fukuoka meaning that Wycliff Palu’s side can no longer surpass either of the sides above them.

The former Wallaby’s charges can still have a say in the direction of title given they face the Rugguts on the final weekend.

There are no games in Division Two this weekend, but the equation is getting increasingly difficult for Hanazono Kintetsu Liners after Wayne Pivac’s NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu scored a vital 15-8 win over section leaders, Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi, last Saturday.

The win closed the margin between the top two to three points, while also maintaining the status quo between second and third, leaving Kintetsu with effectively two ‘finals’ to play if they are to qualify for a shot at promotion.

Despite steamrolling Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex 54-21 – a damaging result for the Voltex that saw them fall three places on the standings into one of The Replacement Battle spots – Quade Cooper’s side made up just one point on the table and must beat the Green Rockets when the league resumes in two weeks to stand any chance.

They would then control their own destiny on the final weekend, when faced with an appointment with the Shuttles.

Should the Green Rockets beat Kintetsu, both themselves and the Shuttles are ensured of a date with Division One’s bottom two, with the only issue left on the table being that of their finishing order.

Last weekend’s other results confirmed Kamaishi Seawaves’ place in The Replacement Battle for Divisions Two and Three for a third straight year, with the Iwate-based side suffering a crucial 34-24 home loss to Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks, who were led by a try in each half from All Black flyhalf Lima Sopoaga as they overturned a three-point halftime deficit to make their journey north a successful one.

There are no DIVISION 2 matches this weekend. The photo shows flyhalf Lima Sopoaga of the SHIMIZU KOTO BLUE SHARKS, who scored two tries himself last week and contributed to the team's victory

Despite the win, the Blue Sharks remain threatened by The Replacement Battle themselves, sitting below a resurgent Hino Red Dolphins, who secured back-to-back wins for the first time this season by edging Red Hurricanes Osaka.

Any one of four teams could yet join the Seawaves, with seven points separating the Red Hurricanes from the Voltex.

That will concern the brains trust in Osaka where the one-time league leaders, who opened with five wins in their first six, are still an outside chance of relegation following six consecutive defeats.

The wretched run mirrors a six-loss sequence last term that would have put the Red Hurricanes in The Replacement Battle had it not been suspended for the season due to the expansion of the lower divisions, which saw two teams come up from Division Three to establish this year’s eight-team competition in Division Two.

With the Green Rockets, who could be playing for the title, to come on the last weekend, the Red Hurricanes could yet be dumped into the bottom two if they do not overturn their 35-24 defeat by the Seawaves from the last meeting between the sides in early March, when the competition resumes.