Japan Rugby League One Round 8 did provide us with some unexpected treats as we anticipated. BlackRams Tokyo defeated Yokohama Canon Eagles in the ‘Photocopy Derby’, while Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo were defeated by Kobelco Kobe Steelers by a single point.
Japan Rugby League One Round 8 did provide us with some unexpected treats as we anticipated. BlackRams Tokyo defeated Yokohama Canon Eagles in the ‘Photocopy Derby’, while Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo were defeated by Kobelco Kobe Steelers by a single point.
There were three hat-tricks across the Divisions, including one for Israel Folau. In Division 2, the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners remain undefeated as Manie Libbok scored his first try in Japan.
Division 1
Saturday February 14
Yokohama Canon Eagles 31-53 BlackRams Tokyo; at Tokyo (Chichibu)
Yokohama Canon Eagles were leading the ‘Photocopy Derby’ against Ricoh BlackRams Tokyo 17-13 at halftime, thanks to tries from Viliame Takayawa, Jesse Kriel, and Yuragi Muto, but were blown away in the second period and conceded six tries and in total 40 points in the loss, which sees the BlackRams climb to 6th on the log.
Vitally, backrower Brodi McCurran's second try of the afternoon, late in the game, secured the victors an invaluable try-scoring bonus point, which had threatened to be denied after Eagles winger Chihito Matsui scored Yokohama’s fifth try in the 79th minute.
It means that the BlackRams are back-to-back winners over Yokohama Canon Eagles in this derby contest.
Saitama Wild Knights 26-10 Toyota Verblitz; at Saitama
Another match in which the side which led at the break lost by the end of the game, as Toyota Verblitz, surprisingly, led 7-5 after forty minutes. Vince Aso had put the hosts ahead but a converted Rikiya Matsuda gave them the lead.
They were even 14-5 up after Akito Okui added a second team try, but Ben Gunter, Koki Takeyama, and Lachlan Boshier all crossed for scores to wrestle the game away. Atsushi Kanazawa’s side did not get their full complement of 5 points, however.
We thought it might be a big scoreline, so compliments to the Verblitz side for giving the log-leaders a real go. The result does mean its ten straight wins for the Wild Knights over Toyota Verblitz.
Shizuoka BlueRevs 19-42 Kubota Spears; at Shizuoka
6th-placed Shizuoka BlueRevs hosted second-ranked Kubota Spears and were defeated at home as the close contest tilted towards the visitors when World Rugby Player of the Year Malcolm Marx scored a try, which enabled them to pull away for the win at Yamaha Stadium yesterday.
In a JRLO season where the forwards are running rampant with tries, it was Marx’s first of the campaign.
The game was in the balance when Bernard Foley was ejected from the game for 10 minutes but the Shizuoka BlueRevs were unable to score in his absence.
When their own backrower Vueti Tupou was yellow carded allowed the Spears to pile on some points. Skipper Faulua Makisi followed up last week’s hat-trick with two tries as his side bagged all 5 points.
Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 44-34 Mie Honda Heat; at Kanagawa
Mie Honda Heat left their visit to play Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars with a loss as they could not make it three consecutive wins for Kieran Crowley.
Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars backrower, and former (Otago) Highlander’s, Marino Makele-Tu’u completed a hat-trick of tries in a PORM performance as the hosts bagged a 44-34 win over Mie Honda Heat.
Honda had a 34-22 lead midway through the second half (Franco Mostert was again among the try scorers), but the Dynaboars dug deep and took advantage of Ben Paltridge's yellow card for Mie Honda Heat to get a result which lifted them out of the bottom two, and ended a run of four consecutive losses.
Marino Mikaele-Tu U, Jackson Hemopo, Matt Vaega, and Satoshi Koizumi in the 84th minute scored in the second period for the victors.
Urayasu D-Rocks 19-41 Tokyo Sungoliath; at Miyazaki
Tokyo Sungoliath beat Urayasu D-Rocks to make it four consecutive losses for the side, even with the return of Israel Folau in just his third match this season, and he did score a hat-trick in the defeat. His three tries came between the 33rd and 62nd minutes - his second hat-trick in Japan.
The win maintains a top-six placement for Tokyo Sungoliath as they converted the 26-5 halftime lead into a 41-19 win. All Black backrower and club captain Sam Cane and Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe, who was POTM, were among their six try-scorers in the bonus point win.
Sunday February 15
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 33-34 Kobelco Kobe Steelers; at Tokyo (Chichibu)
Kobelco Kobe Steelers narrowly edged out Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo with a one-point win, which avenged the three defeats they suffered at their hands last season. At one stage, the Kobe side was up 20-0 (tries from Waisake Raratubua, Inoke Burua, and Tali Ioasa), but the hosts fought back to make it a nailbiter.
It was 20-7 at the break after Michael Leitch scored his first try this season.
The defending champions ran in four tries in the second half but fell just short of the comeback and made the most of Dave Rennie’s Steelers being down to 13 players at one point.
POTM was Kanta Matsunaga for the Steelers as they secured their first win over Brave Lupus in eight attempts, with six losses and a draw in the previous 7 games. It's also back-to-back defeats for the Brave Lupus this season, but they cling to 4th in Division 1.
Saturday February 14
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 50-38 Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex; at Osaka
The Hanazono Kintetsu Liners remain undefeated, and their Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok scored his first try for the club (in total 17 points) as they beat Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex at home. Captain Peter Umaga Jensen scored twice in the second half too.
Libbok was actually outscored by the Kyuden Voltex fullback, Australian Jude Gibbs, who banked 23 points in just his second League One outing.
Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttles Aichi 66-12 Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks; at Aichi
Former (Waikato) Chiefs and (Otago) Highlanders backrower Tom Florence scored three tries for the Shuttles and had a yellow card as they put a big win on second-placed Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks, running in ten tries in total.
It was just Florence’s fourth appearance since arriving from Major League Rugby, and it means that the Blue Sharks have now lost twice after losing to the Liners last week.
Last year’s Division champions player, Chance Peni. leads the try-scoring stats in Division 2 as he also scored a hat-trick in the win and a POTM display.
Sunday February 15
SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS 34-6 Kurita Water Gush Akishima; at Saitama
Sayama Secom Rugguts closed the gap on the log leaders, who had a bye, with a win over Kurita Water Gush Akishima in the Division’s one fixture this weekend.
Chase Tiatia scored again and is now joint-second on the Division’s try-scoring charts, while teammate Sam Slade was also among the scorers and POTM.