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It's shaping up to be a year of surprises in the Japan Rugby League One, and Round 12 was no different as top of the table Kobelco Kobe Steelers were felled by bottom of the Division Yokohama Canon Eagles on Friday to get the weekend underway before the Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars defeated the Tokyo Sungoliath for the second time in less than a month.
It's shaping up to be a year of surprises in the Japan Rugby League One, and Round 12 was no different as top of the table Kobelco Kobe Steelers were felled by bottom of the Division Yokohama Canon Eagles on Friday to get the weekend underway before the Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars defeated the Tokyo Sungoliath for the second time in less than a month.
Richie Mo'unga's struggling Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo lost to the Mie Honda Heat - extending their losing run to six games.
Division 1
Friday March 20
Kobelco Kobe Steelers 29-38 Yokohama Canon Eagles; at Hyogo
Leon MacDonald got the biggest win of his coaching career in Japan as his Yokohama Canon Eagles defeated the top of the table Kobelco Kobe Steelers coached by Dave Rennie in nearly the exact reverse score of when they played earlier this season, and the Steelers won 28-32.
Springbok Faf de Klerk scored a first-half hat-trick in just his second game back from injury to win POTM as his side led 24-10 at the break (it was his first hat-trick in the JRLO). It was a remarkable game for Kosho Muto to win his first JRLO cap for the victors.
There were also tries for the NZ trio of Ardie Savea, Anton Leinert-Brown and captain Brodie Retallick for the Kobe side. Retallick now has a remarkable 13 tries this season. The loss, however, sees them drop down to third on the table.
The visitors had a slender lead of 31-29 with less than ten minutes in the game when Kobe’s Inoke Burua was yellow-carded. A try to Ryo Tabata, converted by Yu Tamura in the 75th minute, sealed the win, only their third this season.
Saturday March 21
Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 35-32 Tokyo Sungoliath, at Tokyo (Chichibu)
The Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars followed up their 34-15 win over Tokyo Sungoliath recently with this 35-32 victory and had to dig deep as they were behind 21-32 before storming back at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium.
The unlikely victory was actually their third in a row over Sungoliath, but it might have seemed even more unlikely when Brad Weber had a yellow card as early as the 5th minute. It ended up being the first of three cards issued in the opening forty minutes. His teammate, Maori All Blacks backrower Marino Mikaele-Tu U, received one near the half-hour mark, and Suntory’s Gideon Wrampling in the 24th minute.
Tries by Kohei Yasuda, Kanji Shimokawa, and Seiya Ozaki for Tokyo Sungoliath saw them trail the scores of Yuji Chae, Matt Vaega, and Weber 17-21 at the break.
Tries by Sean McMahon and Mikiya Takamoto had the visitors take the lead in the second period. A try for Springbok Lukhanyo Am after an hour, and Marino Mikaele-Tu U scored the final try in the 72nd minute, with Charlie Titcombe's kicking accuracy the difference on the scoreboard.
Saitama Wild Knights 33-7 Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo; at Saitama
The convincing 33-7 win for the Saitama Wild Knights sees them return to the top of the log, tied on 50 points with Kubota Spears. The loss was the first defeat for the Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo in six matches and also the 22nd win for their opposition over them in 23 encounters.
There were opening half tries for both Takuya Yamasawa and Tomoki Osada for the victors. Jack Cornelsen and two for Maurice Marks in the second half confirmed the win, while Masashi Onishi was the only try scorer for the visitors.
Wild Knights Head Coach Atsushi Kanazawa got the win needed to see them go top of the table, but will they stay there? Notably, it was their 24th straight win at home.
Urayasu D-Rocks 35-59 Kubota Spears; at Tokyo (Yumenoshima).
A huge win for Frans Ludeke’s Kubota Spears sees them tied on points at the top of the table, after they ran in 9 tries in the 59-35 win over Urayasu D-Rocks, which also means they extend their worst ever run in the JRLO with 8 straight losses.
The amount of points they are conceding in those losses is the biggest worry for Graham Rowntree - that's 6 losses in which they have shipped a minimum of 40 points.
We said in the preview that the Kubota Spears would be targeting 5 log points, and they achieved that easily. Ruan Botha and Faulua Makisi each scored a brace of tries for the Spears.
Samu Kerevi was one of 5 try scorers for the Urayasu D-Rocks in the defeat.
Sunday March 22
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 22-24 Mie Honda Heat; at Tokyo (Chichibu)
The woes continue for the defending champions as they lost their 6th consecutive match this weekend.
Richie Mounga scored first in the match with a try in the opening six minutes, but the conversion was missed, and the visiting Mie Honda Heat’s Aseri Masivou scored a converted try as they led 7-5 at halftime.
Andrew Makalio’s try for the hosts put them ahead before the Mie Heat restored the lead thanks to Rakuhei Yamashita's try, and Li Tevita’s score gave them a 21-12 lead. Afu Ofeina crossed over to score to narrow it to 19-21, and a Richie Mounga penalty gave them the lead with 3 minutes remaining.
A yellow card for Todd Blackadder’s side in the 39th minute, and then the winning kick from South African centre Dawid Kellerman claimed the victory in the 82nd minute to earn him POTM.
The win means former Azzurri coach Kieran Crowley’s Honda is completing a double this season against the defending champions.
Toyota Verblitz 24-34 Shizuoka BlueRevs; at Aichi
Both teams with the longest running win streaks lost this weekend, and that included Steve Hansen’s Toyota Verblitz, who were denied a 5th consecutive win by Shizuoka BlueRevs, who in turn ended their run of five straight losses.
Kwagga Smith was at his menacing best at the breakdown and was among the try scorers for the visitors (as well as POTM), with his side scoring three times to lead 19-7 in the opening period, with Mark Telea scoring Toyota Verblitz’s only try. The two yellow cards for the shots in the first forty minutes didn't help their cause.
Tries for Viliame Tuidraki and Yoshikatsu Hikosaka narrowed the deficit to 17-22. Shunsuke Sakuta scored Shizuoka BlueRevs 4th try in the game to give them some breathing space, and both sides scored once more each, but the visitors earned the win, their 4th in a row over their opponents.
The win meant Shizuoka leapfrogged Verblitz on the log, ending the weekend seventh.
Sunday March 22
Green Rockets Tokatsu 54-24 Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves; at Chiba
The Green Rockets Tokatsu were two places ahead of the visiting Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves, and they ran out comfortable winners
The hosts had led 26-14 at halftime and denied the Seawaves any more points in the second half while adding 28 more themselves, scoring 8 tries in total. Kanta Omata
Scored a brace.
The victory sees them move into third and leapfrog Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks.
Division Three
Saturday March 21
Kurita Water Gush Akishima 22-28 Yakult Levins Toda; at Kanagawa
Kurita Water Gush Akishima lost to Yakult Levins Toda and played more matches than the teams around them on the log, and they will lose positions over the coming weeks.
The hosts were disappointed as they led 17-8 at halftime and Yakult Levins Toda had conceded a yellow card. Kauri Tipene-Grace extended his try-tally to 6 this season with a brace in defeat, while Masatoshi Doi, Rikiya Oishi and Kosuke Urabe scored for the victors.
Kurita Water Gush Akishima are currently in third, and Yakult Levins Toda remain 5th.
Sunday March 22
Le RIRO Fukuoka 26-32 Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions; at Fukuoka
4th placed Le RIRO Fukuoka lost to the bottom of the division Chugoku Red Regulions, the visitors securing just their second win this season.
Four first-half tries saw the Red Regulions lead 24-7 at the break. Finau Makavaha scored a hat-trick for the hosts, but they couldn't reclaim the lead.