Japan Rugby League One Preview

He might be returning to New Zealand at season’s end, but Richie Mo’unga has some important business to take care of in Japan Rugby League One first, starting with Saturday’s replay of last season's championship game
between Toshiba Brave Lupus and Kubota Spears.

The All Black flyhalf inspired Brave Lupus to their second successive title with a man-of-the-match performance in the 18-13 victory, despite playing with a broken hand. A fully fit Mo’unga might be required to reach even greater heights this time around, with Brave Lupus currently missing many of the key performers from last year’s successful title defence.

Second rower Warner Dearns (Super Rugby) and skipper Michael Leitch are the most prominent absentees but of the XV that will start at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, just seven appeared in the final.

All but two of the Kubota starting lineup from the game will feature in the rematch. Todd Blackadder has covered the injury setbacks well, aided by some smart off-season recruitment, the most
exciting of which has been the former (Wellington) Hurricanes outside back Tjay Clarke who has proved his worth with five tries in the last two weeks.

While Brave Lupus have won the last four matches between the sides, each by razor thin margins, the unbeaten Spears are a major step up from the caliber of the four opponents Brave Lupus have dispatched since their season opening horror show against Saitama Wild Knights.
In the orange corner, things could not be better.

Last weekend’s 39-10 belting of Toyota Verblitz extended Kubota’s unbeaten run in the regular season to 13 matches, with their last defeat outside of the playoffs suffered against Brave Lupus when they were edged 31-27
at the start of March.

The forward pack, led by the inspirational Malcolm Marx, is dominating, while Wallaby veteran Bernard Foley rivals his Toshiba counterpart as the most influential backline pivot in the league, with his goalkicking accuracy
seeing him 24 points clear at the top the individual points standings. Foley headed that table three years ago, when the Spears won their maiden title.

Should Kubota stumble, Saitama Wild Knights stand poised to assume sole command at the top of the championship table, although they also have an awkward tussle on their hands, meeting old rivals Tokyo
Sungoliath. With 11 national titles between them, which includes victories by the Wild Knights over Sungoliath in each of the championship deciders of the final Top League and inaugural League One, a fierce rivalry exists between the clubs.

The Wild Knights have won all six matches between the sides in the League One era, including an eight-try 60-17 romp in May, when Springbok Cheslin Kolbe and All Black Sam Cane each spent time on the sidelines after yellow cards. While Kosei Ono’s side arrested their recent decline following consecutive defeats with a hard-fought 30-15 win over Mie Honda Heat, the second season coach will need his international trio of Kolbe, Wallaby backrower Sean McMahon, and Cane at their best if they are to end their rivals’ winning start to the season.

Kobelco Kobe Steelers could narrow the gap if either of the top two stumble when they visit troubled Yokohama Canon Eagles, whose new coach Leon MacDonald is struggling to arrest a decline that saw the side lose their final four games before the former (Auckland) Blues boss arrived at the start of the season.

The Eagles have now lost nine in a row and have not been helped by having to replace Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, around whom much of their attack revolved, after the South African was injured on the opening day of the season. Former All Black hooker Liam Coltman has arrived to take up the third spot for foreign test players in the squad.

Mie Honda Heat are also finding things difficult, with their losing run in the regular season having stretched to 14 matches, but the arrival of Urayasu D-Rocks might offer relief after the latter’s three match winning run was ended by Brave Lupus.

While D-Rocks have been playing well, and have not lost to Honda since 2012, Heat have not been as bad as their record looks, leading at halftime in three of this season’s five defeats, with the red card issued to second rower Mark Abbott killing off their hopes last time against Sungoliath when they were within a converted try of the lead.

Toyota Verblitz are a place above Heat after winning when the two teams met on the opening weekend, but their season is rapidly unraveling, with four losses and 160 points conceded since, which doesn’t inspire much
confidence ahead of Sunday's visit to Shizuoka BlueRevs at Yamaha Stadium.

The BlueRevs returned to winning ways against Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars, with the increased scoring output of their outside backs – who scored five of the seven tries – providing encouragement, given that was one of the key ingredients of last year’s run to the playoffs.

After winning six matches in each of the last two seasons, the Dynaboars have won just once in five this time and are in need of a boost as they host a BlackRams Tokyo outfit who will be stinging after being blown away by Kobe.

The BlackRams had stitched together back-to-back wins prior to their crash in the Earthquake Memorial and will arrive at Sagamihara Gion Stadium with the memory of last season's 22-7 win over the Dynaboars still fresh.
There is just one match in each of the lower divisions.