Japan Rugby League One round nine review

There is a new name at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the regular season in Japan Rugby League One as Kubota Spears took over from Saitama Wild Knights following the inaugural champions’ crushing
40-24 defeat by Kobelco Kobe Steelers.

The men from Kansai, who were achieving just their third win over the Wild Knights since a nationwide professional competition began in Japan in 2003, blew Saitama away in the second half after a tight first period
had ended with the side’s locked together, 19-19.

While All Black Brodie Retallick leads the individual try-scoring rankings in the league, it was a try by his second-row partner, former (Auckland) Blues man Gerard Cowley-tuioti, just before the break that turned the game, after it appeared that Springbok midfielder Damien de Allende’s third try in as many matches would give the visitors a handy advantage.

De Allende was playing his 50th match in League One. Having overcome an early 12-0 deficit to tie the game, Kobe had the momentum when play resumed, which they
converted into 21 unanswered points and a match-winning lead.

Perhaps the only disappointment for the home side was the late try by Saitama fullback Ryuji Noguchi which denied Dave Rennie’s men a try-scoring bonus point. Even so, the 16-point margin of the Wild Knights’ first defeat of the season was their biggest since League One inaugurated five years ago.

It was the eighth time in 83 matches that Saitama had conceded more than 30 points in a game, but just the second of those to have been lost. While it was the fourth occasion among the eight that Kobe had been the responsible opponent, this was the first time the Steelers had gone on to win the game.

The record defeat saw the Wild Knights drop from first to third on the standings, surpassed by Saturday’s conquerors, but also by Kubota, who overcame Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 26-10 in a game where the victors had to play with 13-men briefly in the second half following two yellow cards.

Although the Dynaboars did score against Kubota’s reduced complement, they were unable to take any real advantage, with the Spears having cancelled the seven points out with a try of their own by the time they were
restored to a full staff.

The try, by prop Opeti Helu, proved the final of the game, taking on added significance as it allowed Kubota to bag the all-important try-scoring bonus point, with the home side ending with a four try-to-one advantage in what was their 24th consecutive win at Spears Edoriku Field.

The Spears ended the weekend three points ahead of Kobe, and four above Saitama, with a match against the latter two rounds away.

While Frans Ludeke’s men continue to impress, the side who defeated them in last year’s final, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, are getting the staggers, suffering the fourth defeat of their title defence after an astonishing 52-21 demolition by Toyota Verblitz.

The finest moment of Steve Hansen’s seven years coaching in Japan, Toyota – winners just once from eight matches this season prior to yesterday, and four of the last 21 since the start of last year – ran riot against the defending champions, bounding to a 27-7 lead in the first half, before twisting the knife after halftime.

With three tries in each half, two of which were contributed by All Blacks Aaron Smith and Mark Telea, Verblitz secured a much-deserved bonus point to move two points clear of the relegation series positions. Brave Lupus have slipped to fifth, their campaign having hit the skids after three straight defeats, which allowed Tokyo Sungoliath to surpass them, and BlackRams Tokyo to close to within two, after each recorded comfortable wins.

BlackRams, who face Brave Lupus next, are becoming lethal in the second half after burying Urayasu D-Rocks with a 29-point scoring spell after the break. This came a week after they had been completely dominant in the Photocopy Derby, putting 40 points on Yokohama Canon Eagles in the final 40 minutes. D-Rocks had led 14-12 at halftime, with Israel Folau backing up last week’s hattrick with the try that took his side
into the lead.

The Australian star got another late in the second half, but that was mere consolation, with the yellow card conceded by Springbok backrower Jasper Wiese for a professional foul a minute before halftime having proved
critical. By the time the big South African returned, Australian fullback Isaac Lucas and Brave Blossoms winger Taira Main had both scored, with Main getting a second, and former Wallaby backrower Liam Gill bagging his third try of the season, as the BlackRams made it two wins in as many weeks, and three from the last four.

Tokyo Sungoliath continued their recent renaissance, overcoming a red card four minutes into the second half of their emphatic 54-22 win over Yokohama Canon Eagles.
Sungoliath led 20-12 when ex-Bristol Bears (England) second rower Sam Jeffries was ejected for illegal contact, and were quickly overhauled by the Eagles, but their 22-20 advantage lasted just four minutes before hooker
Kosuke Horikoshi scored to put the home side back in front.

Back-to-back tries by former Wallaby backrower Sean McMahon then pulled Sungoliath clear as the bottom-placed Eagles collapsed, leaking six tries in the final 24 minutes.

Although Sungoliath remain 10 points behind the top three, they have a game (against the Dynaboars) in hand. Shizuoka BlueRevs lost more ground on the top six after running out of gas during their 26-21 defeat by Mie
Honda Heat in the Motorcycle Derby. BlueRevs, formerly known as Yamaha, made the most of a 29th minute yellow card for a professional foul by Ben Paltridge with two of the stars of last season’s run to the playoffs, winger Valynce Te Whare and scrumhalf Shuntaro Kitamura, both scoring in the Honda winger’s absence to give the visitors a commanding 21-5 halftime lead at Suzuka Gardens.

Their momentum stalled after play resumed though, with Honda closing the gap with two tries in 10 minutes before finally overtaking the BlueRevs 10 minutes before the finish line.
The win lifted Kieran Crowley’s side to eighth, one point and position behind BlueRevs, although Honda still trail sixth-placed BlackRams by eight points with nine games of the regular season remaining.

There were wins for Green Rockets Tokatsu and RedHurricanes Osaka in Division Two, while Hiroshima scored a double in Division Three, with section leaders SkyActivs Hiroshima beating Kurita Water Gush Akishima in an 88-point scoring frenzy, and Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions gaining their first win of the season at the expense of Yakult Levins Toda.