Round 17 of the JRLO in Division 1 might just settle the few unknowns that remain with two rounds to go, as first plays second on Saturday, while Mie Honda Heat host Toyota Verblitz, which could decide who joins Urayasu D-Rocks in the Replacement Battle. Elsewhere, the final spot for the playoffs could also be settled if Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath see off Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo to hold on to 6th place on the log.
Round 17 of the JRLO in Division 1 might just settle the few unknowns that remain with two rounds to go, as first plays second on Saturday, while Mie Honda Heat host Toyota Verblitz, which could decide who joins Urayasu D-Rocks in the Replacement Battle. Elsewhere, the final spot for the playoffs could also be settled if Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath see off Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo to hold on to 6th place on the log.
The weekend’s fixtures get underway with Sungoliath looking to secure that sixth and final playoffs slot against Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo, knowing that if they slip up on the weekend, their final regular season match is a tough one against Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights. Another consideration and reason to be motivated is that if they and their opposition this weekend end the season on the same points, Ricoh will trump them by having won both matches this season, as they won the match 33-32.
In terms of the international playing contingent, Cheslin Kolbe and Same Cane both start for Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, and TJ Perenara, Isaac Lucas, and Liam Gill start for the Black Rams.
Shizuoka Blue Revs come into the weekend with six wins from the last seven, and unless they play the whole game against D-Rocks like the first twenty minutes last weekend in their come-from-behind win over the Eagles, they should secure a win to maintain momentum. The D-Rocks signed a mid-week partnership with MLR side San Diego Legion.
Defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo are currently third on the log and travel away to play Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars, knowing that if they win their final two games, they could force their way back into the top two on the log to earn a bye in the opening round of the playoffs.
As a side note, both Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell (who both start this weekend) have been invited to play the ANZAC XV vs British & Irish Lions game postseason but await their club’s confirmation to be released for the game.
For the hosts, Glen Delaney’s side is out of the running for the playoffs, barring several miracles, but will know they need one more win this season to exceed last year’s tally of six wins. The last time they faced Todd Blackadder’s side, they were on the end of a 61-8 hammering in December, and they are still without Kurt-Lee Arendse. They still face the lowest-ranked side, Urayasu D-Rocks in the final game of the season.
Black Rams
Wild Knights
Toyota Verblitz
Wild Knights
Wild KnightsSaturday’s clash between league leaders Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights and second-placed Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay at Prince Chichibu Stadium should be one of the fixtures of the weekend and give whoever wins a massive confidence boost heading into the knockout rounds at the tail end of the Japanese season. The victor on Saturday will almost certainly secure a bye in the first weekend of the playoffs, which is the reward for finishing in the top two.
Odds favour Robbie Deans' Wild Knights, as they have beaten the side now coached by Frans Ludeke 15 times in the past 16 encounters; the men in orange sole win did come when they clinched their first nationwide Japanese title in 2023. In their first matchup this season, the Wild Knights narrowly won 26-24, but Kubota Spears' wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley could have won it at the death with a penalty that agonisingly missed.
The Wild Knights bring back some star firepower in the form of Damien de Allende and Lood de Jager, and have recalled backrower Lachlan Boshier after five weeks on the sidelines. Brave Blossoms outside centre Dylan Riley, who was one of Japan’s outstanding performers in a poor string of results in 2024, is also back to partner with his Bok centre inside of him.
Malcolm Marx starts for Kubota Spears (with 35 tries in 45 appearances for his club and 9 this season), and Foley is in at flyhalf, with Bryn Hall on the bench.
Mie Honda Heat will need to dig deep and beat fellow strugglers Toyota Verblitz on Sunday, as the winner will likely avoid the promotion/relegation series. The hosts will be thankful that although Springbok Pieter Steph Du Toit is back with the Verblitz from injury, he has not been re-registered and will be watching from the sidelines. Steve Hansen’s side has a slender two-point advantage on the log, and Honda are winless in their last seven matches in the division.
Verblitz still have quality across the team in a poor season, with Kazuki Himeno as captain, Aaron Smith at scrumhalf, and league convert Joseph Manu on the wing.
Suntory SungoliathToyota VerblitzToyota Verblitz
Toyota Verblitz
DynaboarsSunday’s final match is between Yokohama Canon Eagles and Kobelco Kobe Steelers, with the visiting Kobe side running up five wins in their last six matches to secure a playoff spot. The Eagles will need to secure two bonus point wins and hope teams above them slip up to have any chance, and that means ending impriving on run of only two wins in total since February!
Brave Blossoms Head Coach Eddie Jones is due to be at the Yokohama Canon Eagles v Kobelco Kobe Steelers match in Tokyo as he looks ahead to the international test season.
Fixtures
Saturday May 3
Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath v Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo; at Tokyo, 1pm
Shizuoka Blue Revs v Urayasu D-Rocks; at Shizuoka, 2pm
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars v Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo; at Kanagawa, 2.30pm
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay v Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights; at Tokyo, 2.30pm
Sunday May 4
Mie Honda Heat v Toyota Verblitz; at Mie, 12.10pm
Yokohama Canon Eagles v Kobelco Kobe Steelers; at Tokyo, 2.30pm