Japan League One | Dream Team
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The Japan League One kicks off this weekend and there has not been a lack of big names signed to play. With all the stars and World Cup winners represented we put together our Dream Team
1 Keita Inagaki - Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights*
2 Dane Coles - Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay
3 Opeti Helu - Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay*
4 Brodie Retallick - Kobelco Kobe Steelers
5 Lood de Jager - Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights
6 Sam Cane - Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit - Toyota Verblitz
8 Ardie Savea - Kobelco Kobe Steelers
9 Aaron Smith - Toyota Verblitz
10 Richie Mo'unga - Toshiba Brave Lupus
11 Marika Koroibete - Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights
12 Ngane Laumape - Kobelco Kobe Steelers
13 Jesse Kriel - Yokohama Canon Eagles
14 Cheslin Kolbe - Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath
15 Beauden Barrett - Toyota Verblitz Liam Williams Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay
*With no props to choose from the Loose head and Tighthead from the 2022/23 Team of the Year were chosen.
Each club is allowed three players who have been capped internationally/played tests for nations other than Japan. There can be up to seven others at a club who are foreign born but have not played test matches and could (in time) become eligible for Japan.
International Players Playing This Season:
DIVISION ONE
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay: Dane Coles (New Zealand*), Liam Williams (Wales*), Bernard Foley (Australia)
Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights: Damian de Allende (South Africa*), Lood de Jager (South Africa), Marika Koroibete (Australia*)
Yokohama Canon Eagles: Faf de Klerk (South Africa*), Jesse Kriel (South Africa*), Matthew Phillip (Australia*)
Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath: Cheslin Kobe (South Africa*), Gareth Anscombe (Wales*), Sam Cane (New Zealand*)
Toshiba Brave Lupus: Richie Mo’unga (New Zealand*), Shannon Frizell (New Zealand*), Seta Tamanivalu (New Zealand)
Toyota Verblitz: Beauden Barrett (New Zealand*), Aaron Smith (New Zealand*), Pieter Steph du Toit (South Africa*)
Shizuoka Blue Revs: Kwagga Smith (South Africa*), Charles Piutau (Tonga*)
Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo: Hadleigh Parkes (Wales), Nathan Hughes (England), Kobelco Kobe Steelers: Ardie Savea (New Zealand*), Brodie Retallick (New Zealand*), Ngane Laumape (New Zealand)
Mie Honda Heat: Pablo Matera (Argentina*), Tom Banks (Australia), Franco Mostert (South Africa*)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars: Matt To’omua (Australia), Curtis Rona (Australia), Jackson Hemopo (New Zealand)
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners: Quade Cooper (Australia), Will Genia (Australia), Ben Toolis (Scotland)
DIVISION TWO
Urayasu D-Rocks: Israel Folau (Tonga), Samu Kerevi (Australia*)
NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu: Jake Ball (Wales)
Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi: Taleni Sau (Samoa*),Freddie Burns (England)
DIVISION THREE
Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks: Lima Sopoaga (Samoa*)
Hino Red Dolphins: Augustine Pulu (Tonga*), Rory Arnold (Australia)