Japan Rugby League One stars set to light up The Greatest Rivalry

Some of the biggest stars of Japan Rugby League One are set to light up the year’s biggest event in rugby, The Greatest
Rivalry, when it kicks off in Johannesburg tomorrow.
When Springbok and Toyota Verblitz backrower Pieter Steph du Toit and his All Black and Kobelco Kobe Steelers
counterpart Ardie Savea lead their teams onto Ellis Park, they will be two of 13 players spread across the two teams with
League One connections, alongside three of the coaching staff.
The numbers highlight the significant role the league now plays on the international stage, five years on from its inception.
The home side provides 10 of the players, eight of whom boast past Japanese experience, alongside scrumhalf Grant
Williams and second rower Ruan Nortje, who will gain their first taste of League One later this year, having joined Kobelco
Kobe Steelers and Kubota Spears respectively.
League One’s leading point-scorer, Tokyo Sungoliath’s Cheslin Kolbe, will be one of the most marked men on the field,
while World Rugby Player of the Year and Springbok and Kubota hooker Malcolm Marx will be hoping the four tests
against the All Blacks bring better fortune, after a bicep injury ruled him out of June’s League One final.
The All Blacks are prepared by Kobe’s title-winning boss Dave Rennie, who is one three coaches with Japanese links

involved in the series, Rennie being joined in the New Zealand coaching box by his club assistant Mike Blair, while ex-
Brave Blossoms assistant coach Tony Brown performs the same role for South Africa.

It will be a special day for Saitama Wild Knights inside centre Damian de Allende, who suits up for his 100th test in
Springbok colours, teaming with his long-time midfield partner, Yokohama Canon Eagles outside centre Jesse Kriel.
League One’s achievement in providing 25 percent of the players for the opening test of the series follows on from the
2023 Rugby World Cup, which featured 25 players who later appeared in the 2023-24 Japanese club season.

* Denotes new player to Japan
South Africa

Tokyo Sungoliath: Cheslin Kolbe
Yokohama Canon Eagles: Jesse Kriel
Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars: Kurt-lee Arendse
Saitama Wild Knights: Damian de Allende
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners: Manie Libbok
Kobelco Kobe Steelers: Grant Williams*
Urayasu D-Rocks: Jasper Wiese
Toyota Verblitz: Pieter Steph du Toit
Kubota Spears: Malcolm Marx, Ruan Nortje*
Assistant Coach: Tony Brown (Brave Blossoms)
New Zealand

Tokyo Sungoliath: Damian McKenzie
Kobelco Kobe Steelers: Ardie Savea, Anton Lienert-Brown
Coaches: Dave Rennie, Mike Blair (Kobelco Kobe Steelers)
Toyota Verblitz second rower Patrick Tuipulotu, Sungoliath and Verblitz flyhalf Beauden Barrett and Toshiba Brave Lupus
flyhalf Richie Mo’unga are all in the All Black touring party but were not selected for the first test