Japan Rugby League One 2025-26 Round 11 Review

Can life get any better for Kobelco Kobe Steelers boss Dave Rennie?
Less than two weeks after being announced as the new All Blacks coach, Rennie oversaw his side’s move to the
top of the Japan Rugby League One table after Kobe crushed Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 61-10 at Hyogo
yesterday.
Rennie’s side hit the Dynaboars with a try by All Black centre Anton Lienert-Brown in just the third minute, and
had seven by halftime, with Lienert-Brown claiming a second while his test teammate Ardie Savea also scored, in a
47-0 lead.
Sagamihara showed more defensive mettle after the break, but Kobe skipper Brodie Retallick would not be kept
out of it, with the All Black second rower scoring his 12th try of the season, which is three more than anyone else.
Kobe, who last won the title in the old Top League in 2018, were given a helping hand to the summit by Saitama
Wild Knights who are two points behind the Steelers after they avenged last year’s semi-final defeat to the former
league leaders, Kubota Spears, by scoring an 83rd converted minute try in a dramatic 32-30 victory.
In a game where the fortunes of both sides fluctuated, the Wild Knights began brightly with a try by Springbok
inside centre Damien de Allende, and a 15-10 halftime lead, before the Spears gained the upper hand, scoring 17
of the next 20 points.
Trailing by nine with 11 minutes remaining, the Wild Knights rallied, with second rower Ockie Barnard and fullback
Ryuji Noguchi doing the damage, and star flyhalf Takuya Yamasawa holding his nerve to convert Noguchi’s try from
near the touchline to steal the win.
The final margin of two points represented the fourth time from the last five meetings that four or less had
separated the sides, including last year in the regular season when they couldn’t be split in a 29-29 draw.

The Wild Knights’s next assignment is BlackRams Tokyo, who also scored in dramatic fashion yesterday, with
skipper TJ Perenara crossing in the 79th minute to deny Shizuoka BlueRevs as the All Black scrumhalves’ side
prevailed 37-33.
BlackRams have won their last four since a 13-6 loss to the Wild Knights at the beginning of last month and are on
course to make their first appearance in the playoffs since League One inaugurated five years ago.
Defeat was cruel on the BlueRevs, who participated in a wonderful contest, but have now lost five-in-a-row and
appear unlikely to crack the top six.
Steve Hansen’s Toyota Verblitz look more of a chance, with the former All Black mentor’s charges continuing their
Phoenix-like rise from the ashes after recording their third win on end as they trampled Urayasu D-Rocks 59-19,
piling on a point-a-minute in the second half.
D-Rocks were in the game when they reached halftime trailing by just a converted try, but fell away dramatically
after the players returned, with Verblitz going for the jugular as they ran in six tries.
Seemingly dead and buried four weeks ago, but now brimming with confidence, Toyota’s first hattrick of wins
since the second season of League One, has moved them to within five points of the top six, where qualification
would give Hansen his first shot at the playoffs in the five years since the league began.
D-Rocks, for whom Wallaby Samu Kerevi was a try-scorer on his return after missing the last two matches, have
now lost their last seven.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, whom Toyota beat to start their winning run, appear the most vulnerable of the sides
currently in the playoffs positions, with the two-time defending champions crashing to a fifth straight defeat
following a 60-21 loss to Tokyo Sungoliath in today’s Fuchu derby.
The game featured a masterclass from Cheslin Kolbe, who scored two tries amongst a 28-point haul as Sungoliath
overwhelmed the two-time defending champions, scoring eight tries to notch up their first win over Brave Lupus
in three seasons.
The 34-year-old Springbok winger scored a try in each half to take his tally to 18 from 34 appearances since he first
donned the yellow and black Sungoliath jersey three years ago.
Yokohama Canon Eagles moved to within a point of the second-from-bottom D-Rocks after recording their second
win of the season, 31-26 win over Mie Honda Heat.

Star Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk marked his return with a 59-minute stint, having not appeared since
suffering a leg injury on the opening day of the season.
Despite two tries from Fiji test hooker Tevita Ikanivere, and one from Los Pumas backrower Pablo Matera, Honda
were always chasing after giving up a 16-0 lead, and were unable to reel their opponents in.
Division Two leaders Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, who suffered their first defeat of the campaign last week, bounced
back to sneak home over Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex 50-48.
A crazy game saw the lead change hands four times yesterday, and the two sides share 15 tries between them,
three in the first half by the 40-year-old ex-Brave Blossoms and Voltex winger Akihito Yamada.
The win was soured for Kintetsu when Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok was ejected 10 minutes before the end for
the receipt of a second yellow card.
Second ranked Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi had plenty of trouble of their own, with many of their problems
self-inflicted as they incurred the referee’s wrath four times in their 36-24 victory over Shimizu Corporation Koto
Blue Sharks.
Despite the yellow card quartet, the Shuttles managed to keep their noses ahead, with backrower Isileli Manu
bagging a hattrick and Wallaby Noah Lolosio winning the battle of the test flyhalves over ex-Irish international Billy
Burns.
The Seawaves were unable to build on last week’s upset win over Kintetsu, slipping to a 28-24 loss at home against
RedHurricanes Osaka.

Japan Rugby League One Results - Round 11

Division One

Saturday March 14
Saitama Wild Knights 32, Kubota Spears 30; at Tokyo (Chichibu)
Yokohama Canon Eagles 31, Mie Honda Heat 26; at Tochigi
BlackRams Tokyo 37, Shizuoka BlueRevs 33; at Tokyo (Komazawa)
Kobelco Kobe Steelers 61, Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 10; at Hyogo
Sunday March 15
Toyota Verblitz 59, Urayasu D-Rocks 19; at Aichi

Tokyo Sungoliath 60, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 21; at Tokyo (Chichibu)
Division Two

Saturday March 14
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 50, Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex 48; at Fukuoka
Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi 36, Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks 24; at Tokyo (Yumenoshima)
Sunday March 15
RedHurricanes Osaka 28, Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves 24; at Iwate
Division Three

Sunday March 15
Kurita Water Gush Akishima 37, Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions 29; at Hiroshima