Official Preview for Round 17 of Japan Rugby League One

Cheslin Kolbe and Tokyo Sungoliath are back!
The five-time national champions ended an unprecedented run of five consecutive defeats in Japan Rugby League One emphatically yesterday, engineering a 54-38 demolition of Toyota Verblitz.
Former All Black skipper Sam Cane, who captained Sungoliath, scored the last of four first half tries – three of which came in the final nine minutes – as the visitors landed a devastating triple blow in the must win match.
From 12-7 up and playing confidently after 28 minutes, Verblitz suddenly found themselves 26-12 down at halftime, and psychologically deflated.
Sungoliath piled on further pain straight after the resumption, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes, and while Verblitz winger Viliame Tuidraki gave his side a glimmer of hope with a try in the 57th minute, the visitors were
across the Toyota goal-line again just six minutes later; former Bordeaux backrower Tevita Tatafu claiming his second try of the afternoon to remove any remaining doubt.
Although three tries in the final 10 minutes, two by All Black winger Mark Telea, gave home supporters solace; while denying Sungoliath a try-scoring bonus point, the outcome ended any threat of Kosei Ono’s side missing out on the playoffs for the first time in the League One era.
Coupled with Toshiba Brave Lupus recording a 35-29 win over the Shizuoka BlueRevs, the result also finished off Toyota’s hopes of featuring in the post season for the first time in League One during their Director of Rugby Steve
Hansen’s final season.
The defending champions showed plenty of resilience in Tokyo to shake off Kwagga Smith’s BlueRevs and finally book their ticket to the final’s series, after a journey which had included a stretch of seven straight defeats.

Needing to win to stay alive, Shizuoka made the perfect start, striking in the first minute when second rower Murray Douglas scored.
But for the interventions of the returning Brave Blossoms winger Jone Naikabula, who scored two first half tries including one right on halftime, the BlueRevs would have headed into the break with a significant advantage, instead of having been pulled back to 22-22.
Starting for the first time after an injury wrecked season, Naikabula – who had scored 27 tries in 26 matches across Toshiba’s two title-winning campaigns – showed what Brave Lupus had been missing on the edge in his absence throughout the regular season.
While Todd Blackadder’s men inched their way ahead after play re-started, largely due to fullback Takuro Matsunaga’s boot, they received a late scare when Naikabula’s Brave Blossoms teammate and fellow winger, Malo Tuitama, scored his second try of the game in the 81st minute.
The Shizuoka man’s effort was too late to save his side’s playoffs hopes.
Mie Honda Heat also failed to go quietly as their playoffs bid came to an end, fully stretching Kobelco Kobe Steelers before Brodie Retallick’s men prevailed 24-19 to reclaim top spot on the standings.
The All Black second-rower’s 17th try of the season early in the second half appeared to have given Kobe breathing space after Honda had closed to within three points at halftime but with their season on the line, the visitors refused to bow to the inevitable.
A try by Honda centre Johnny Faauli after 14 minutes of the second period reduced Kobe’s lead to five but proved to be the last scoring act through a nervous final period where both sides struggled to find the knockout blow.
While Honda succeeded in denying Kobe a try-scoring bonus for just the sixth time from 17 matches, results elsewhere meant the losing point for finishing inside of seven was not enough to keep their season alive.
Although victory took the Steelers above the Saitama Wild Knights and back to the top of the table, the battle for the first-round bye in the playoffs (by finishing in the top two) will go to the final weekend, with Kobe effectively facing a qualifying final as they visit third-placed Kubota Spears.
Friday night saw jubilant scenes in downtown Tokyo as bottom beat top for the second time this season after Urayasu D-Rocks’ thrilling 27-24 win over Saitama.
This followed Yokohama Canon Eagles’ win over first-ranked Kobe in March.
The 12th-placed D-Rocks – already headed to the promotion/relegation series – twice came from behind at Prince  Chichibu Memorial Stadium, overcoming a point-a-minute 12-point deficit to open the game, and then a three- point gap as the contest wound towards its conclusion.

Graham Rowntree’s men sealed the upset in unusual circumstances as centre Siosifa Lisala plunged through a sea of bodies to score in injury time.
Lisala’s effort brought a dramatic end to a sequence that had begun when a long-range dropped kick attempt by Urayasu flyhalf Hikaru Tamura had spectacularly rebounded back into play off the side of the goalposts.
The former league-leaders paid a heavy price for some surprisingly passive defence, which was exploited by the 120-kilogram former Melbourne Rebels backrower Tamati Ioane during a man-of-the-match performance which included two tries.
Saitama retain second ahead of their visit from Brave Lupus next week but remain within range of the Spears after they overwhelmed BlackRams Tokyo 52-8 at Fukushima.
Frans Ludeke’s side ran their opponents ragged, piling on eight tries to canter to victory while sending a clear message of intent to their upcoming opponents.
It’s been a tough slog, but Yokohama Canon Eagles have just a week left to go in their season and that’s good news for Leon MacDonald and his rejuvenated side, after a 31-22 win over Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars confirmed that they would not be required for The Replacement Battle.
Last, and winless after six weeks, today’s win in the Kanagawa derby was the Eagles’ fifth from their last seven outings; a run that has included the scalps of Kobe and Brave Lupus.
Their confidence was evident from the off, taking control of the contest in the first 12 minutes, during which time they scored converted three tries, the first by their inform Springbok centre and captain, Jesse Kriel.
After such a ‘horror’ start, Sagamihara managed to stop the ‘bleeding’ and would have entertained ideas of flipping the game after they scored the next three tries and closed to within four with 22 minutes to play when inside centre Charlie Lawrence made up for his earlier yellow card with a try.
The Eagles wouldn’t be denied, and their fourth try of the afternoon by ex (Auckland) Blues midfielder Levi Aumua, secured the result, with the four points lifting them clear of The Replacement Battle, and even up one spot on the ladder, overtaking Honda.
The Dynaboars, who face fellow relegation series participant Urayasu in the final round, will be looking at the Replacement Battle with trepidation, having dropped five in a row after their surprise double over Sungoliath in March looked to have set them up for a big finish to the season.
Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi took a giant step towards the Division Two title, and cemented their place in The Replacement Battle, after steamrolling RedHurricanes Osaka 78-17, with Wallaby pivot Noah Lolosio weighing in with 26 points to take his tally for the season to 139 from just nine games.
The bonus point win has allowed the Shuttles to surge five points clear of Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, who were overpowered 39-29 by Green Rockets Tokatsu, despite two tries from All Black backrower Akira Ioane, and an 80th minute effort by Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok.
Having lost just one of their first 11 games, Kintetsu have now suffered consecutive defeats, leaving the door open for third-placed Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks to sneak past them in the race for the second promotion/relegation series spot.
The Blue Sharks, who face Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves on the final weekend, are four points behind Kintetsu, who host the Shuttles in their final game.
The Seawaves and Hino Red Dolphins will face the promotion/relegation tests at the other end of the Division Two table, but Hino will at least take some confidence into that series after becoming the last side in the league to breakthrough for their first win today, when they downed the Seawaves, 35-22.
First and second also play on the last weekend of the regular season in Division Three, although the result is now academic to the title after SkyActivs Hiroshima claimed the crown for the second straight year following their 14th win of an unbeaten season, overpowering Kurita Water Gush Akishima, 44-13.
The win gave the men from Honshu an unassailable nine-point lead over their final regular season opponents, second-placed SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS, despite the latter coming back from 31-5 down with 20 minutes
remaining to force a 31-31 draw against Le RIRO Fukuoka.