Results in the penultimate round 17 of the JRLO in Division 1 produced some huge results in determining the end-of-season permutations, as the playoff contenders have been confirmed, while the sides who will need to compete to preserve their top-tier status in the Replacement Battle have also been settled.
Results in the penultimate round 17 of the JRLO in Division 1 produced some huge results in determining the end-of-season permutations, as the playoff contenders have been confirmed, while the sides who will need to compete to preserve their top-tier status in the Replacement Battle have also been settled.
Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath became the sixth and final team to book their place in the playoffs, and in big games, big players step up as Cheslin Kolbe scored a brace and collected 28 points in his side’s 43-34 over Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo (as well as eanring the player of the match award). The result ended TJ Perenara's team's slim hopes of sneaking into the top six and avenged the loss from earlier in the season.
They did themselves no favours as they received three yellow cards and Kolbe converted each into three points from the subsequent penalties. For the Black Rams, Liam Gill also scored twice, while Isaac Lucas (both Australian) will hope he is in the mix for the Brave Blossoms as he can become Japan eligible later this year.
Suntory Sungoliath
Suntory Sungoliath
Honda Heat
Blue Revs
Kobelco SteelersThe only other outside contender was Yokohama Canon Eagles, but they also killed off their own chances by also conceding three yellow cards in a 47-29 defeat by Kobelco Kobe Steelers on Sunday.
At the top of the log, Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay (2nd heading into the weekend) and Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights (1st) played out a pulsating 29-29 draw. In the previous fixture, Spears Wallaby fly half Bernard Foley missed a penalty at the end of the game, which would have won them the match, and fate returned as he missed the final conversion after the hooter on Saturday in Tokyo to once again miss out on a rare win over Robbie Deans’ team.
Special mention should go to the try from Yamada Hibiki that tied the match up as he beat off several defenders in his 60 metre run to the try line.
This was the first ever draw between the two sides, in a fixture which has been dominated by the Wild Knights with only one loss in 17 matches, including the weekend’s result.
However, the result allowed Toshiba Brave Lupus to return to the summit of the table (now level on 66 points with the Wild Knights and two points ahead of the Kubota Sears) after their 45-28 win over Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars. The match saw Richie Mo’unga scoring his 11th try of the season in Japan, and Shannon Frizell scoring his side’s seventh try for the defending champions. Maori All Black midfielder Rob Thompson scored a brace.
An absolute try fest took place when Shizuoka BlueRevs beat Urayasu D-Rocks 62-52 - the match featured 17 tries! The victory ensures Shizuoka Blue Revs have seven wins in their last 8 games and hooker Shunsuke Sakuta grabbed a hatrick in their win.
Coach Greig Laidlaw's Urayasu D-Rocks will go into the Replacement Battle facing the Division Two champions Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi, and they will need the form of Wallaby Samu Kerevi to continue as he scored his 10th try in 9 appearances, and newcomer backrower Nathan Hughes aso scored in his second game for the club.
In the key match on Sunday between Mie Honda Heat and Toyota Verblitz to determine who would join D-Rocks in The Replacement Battle, Mie Honda Heat lost 38-30 and continued their wretched run of form as they are now on a 8-game losing streak and the side which features Franco Mostert and Pablo Matera will be playing for Division 1 status at the end of the season. Mostert was a try scorer, as was Wallaby fullback Tom Banks with a brace.
Rugby league convert Joseph Manu was one of the try scorers for Verblitz, his 11th of the season, in the win, which saved the star-studded coaching and playing side from the season’s blushes.
Suntory Sungoliath
Toyota Verblitz
Toyota Verblitz
Toyota Verblitz
DynaboarsResults
Saturday May 3
Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath 43-34 Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo; at Tokyo
Shizuoka Blue Revs 62-52 Urayasu D-Rocks; at Shizuoka
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars 28-45 Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo; at Kanagawa
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay 29-29 Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights; at Tokyo
Sunday May 4
Mie Honda Heat 30-38 Toyota Verblitz; at Mie
Yokohama Canon Eagles 29-47 Kobelco Kobe Steelers; at Tokyo