Japan Rugby League One 2025-26 Round 13 Review

Saitama Wild Knights pulled off their late late show for the second time in three weeks when replacement prop
Lisala Finau ploughed through a pile of defenders in the 84th minute to break Tokyo Sungoliath hearts in a thrilling
36-34 win that lit up Japan Rugby League One yesterday.
After being denied by one-point in the corresponding match between the two heavyweights earlier in the season,
Sungoliath had appeared set for their first win over their traditional rivals since the resumption of rugby after the
Covid pandemic, when they led 34-24 with seven minutes of regular time remaining.
There were more than seven minutes left as it turned out, and despite 24-points from their Springbok ‘superman’
Cheslin Kolbe, which included his eighth try of the season as well as seven from nine off the boot, Sungoliath were
unable to hang on.
Saitama fullback Ryuji Noguchi had scored in the 82nd minute to get the Wild Knights out of jail against Kubota
Spears 32-30 in Round 11, but while he was a try-scorer again yesterday, it was replacement scrumhalf Hondo
Atora’s maiden League One try seven minutes from time which unlocked the door to another escape, before Finau
bashed it down.
The front-rower’s try, in what was the last play of the game, came after Saitama had laid siege to the Sungoliath
goal-line, having a ‘try’ by flyhalf Takuya Yamasawa ruled out just moments earlier by the television match official
for off-the-ball interference.
Despite their 12th victory of the season, Saitama’s failure to secure a bonus point saw them drop below Kubota on
the standings with the Spears, who have lost twice, becoming the third different team to top the table in as many
weeks after strolling to a 51-7 win over Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.
The win, which extended their remarkable unbeaten record at Spears Edoriku Field in western Tokyo to 25 games,
was achieved after an impressive performance which turned into a rout in the second spell when Kubota put 34
points on their conquerors from last year’s grand final without reply.

Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley collected 19 points to reassert his position at the top of the individual standings,
becoming the first player to crack the 150 mark.
His haul included one of Kubota’s seven tries.
The damage could have been even worse for the defending champions had Foley not been withdrawn with 10
minutes remaining, with replacement goal-kicker Shaun Stevenson missing two of his three conversion attempts,
after the Australian had goaled six-from-six.
Todd Blackadder’s men continue to cling onto sixth place and a position in the playoffs despite their seventh
consecutive defeat, but only due to the struggles of those immediately below them with Shizuoka BlueRevs, who
were seventh, losing ground following a 41-20 defeat by third-placed Kobelco Kobe Steelers.
The BlueRevs dropped two places, overtaken by each of Mie Honda Heat and Toyota Verblitz following their wins
over Urayasu D-Rocks and Yokohama Canon Eagles respectively.
Kobe’s bonus-point win, which featured a 14th try of the season by skipper Brodie Retallick, closed their gap to
the Wild Knights on the standings to two points.
The second-row marvel remains the competition’s leading try-scorer and is just four short of the record for the
regular season, with five games remaining.
The best is the 18 tries scored by Sungoliath winger Seiya Ozaki three years ago.
Verblitz, who at one point earlier in the season were labouring in the relegation zone, are now just two points
behind Brave Lupus following their meritorious 33-27 win at Yokohama.
Despite being reduced to 13 men in the final quarter after second rowers Lourens Erasmus and Hingano Lolohea
were sin-binned within a minute of each other when their side led by nine, Aaron Smith’s side conceded just three
points in their absence, holding the Eagles at bay until the finish.
The home side’s inability to capitalize against opponents reduced in complement was even more surprising given
they had breached the Toyota defence twice straight after halftime despite having been reduced to 14
themselves, with veteran flyhalf Yu Tamura in the sin bin.
Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and backrower Amanaki Saumaki scored within two minutes of each other – de
Klerk’s try, his fifth in four weeks – which had allowed the Eagles to overturn an 11-point deficit.

Verblitz had the final say though – both in attack and defence – with tries by winger Viliame Tuidraki and
backrower William Tupou reclaiming the lead, before some heroic scrambling in the late stages secured Steve
Hansen’s charges their fourth win from five matches.
Sunday saw Heat push D-Rocks closer to the promotion/relegation series while enhancing their playoff
aspirations, as they closed to within a point of Brave Lupus after administering a 43-17 lesson to the section’s
tailenders at Miyagi.
Pablo Matera’s side scored seven tries to pick up the try-scoring bonus, with Fijian test hooker Tevita Ikanivere
scoring twice, while former (Wellington) Hurricanes second-rower Mark Abbott also got his name on the
scoresheet.
Urayasu’s two tries were scored by Springbok backrower Jasper Wiese and dual international Israel Folau, with the
latter taking his tally for the season to seven.
Fifth-placed BlackRams Tokyo are just two points behind Sungoliath after hammering Mitsubishi Sagamihara
Dynaboars 33-7.
The BlackRams ran in five tries to their opponent’s one, with Sagamihara’s sole effort scored by Springbok centre
Lukhanyo Am.
It was the 32-year-old’s third try in as many outings, showing he is far from a spent force as an attacking threat.
Fellow Springbok, flyhalf Manie Libbok, enjoyed his most profitable afternoon since arriving in Japan at the start
of the season, scoring 19 points as Hanazono Kintetsu Liners retained their place at the top of the Division Two
standings by recording their ninth win of the campaign with a 59-31 victory over Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves.
The win avenged Kintetsu’s only defeat, which was suffered against the Iron Man of the North three weeks ago.
Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi remain second after achieving a bonus point win over winless Hino Red Dolphins,
while Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks and Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex were also successful.
In Division Three, pacesetters SkyActivs Hiroshima and SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS continue to show the way, with
the unbeaten SkyActivs chalking up their 10th win-in-a-row, after coming from behind to account for Le RIRO
Fukuoka.
SkyActivs lead the point’s table by six from the second-placed RUGGUTS in what has become a two-horse race for
the section title.

Division One

Saturday March 28
Kubota Spears 51, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 7; at Tokyo (Edoriku)
Kobelco Kobe Steelers 41, Shizuoka BlueRevs 20; at Shizuoka
Saitama Wild Knights 36, Tokyo Sungoliath 34; at Tokyo (Chichibu)
Toyota Verblitz 33, Yokohama Canon Eagles 27; at Kanagawa
Sunday March 29
BlackRams Tokyo 33, Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 7; at Tokyo (Chichibu)
Mie Honda Heat 43, Urayasu D-Rocks 17; at Miyagi
Division Two

Friday March 27
Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex 31, RedHurricanes Osaka 24; at Osaka
Saturday March 28
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 59, Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves 31; at Osaka
Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi 45, Hino Red Dolphins 7; at Aichi
Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks 24, Green Rockets Tokatsu 19; at Chiba
Division Three

Saturday March 28
SkyActivs Hiroshima 36, Le RIRO Fukuoka 23; at Hiroshima
Sunday March 29
SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS 57, Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions 7; at Saitama