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Brave Lupus fired up for Fuchu derby despite Richie Mo'unga absence
The absence of All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo’unga, who is on bereavement leave, shouldn’t detract from a fascinating Fuchu derby in Saturday’s headline contest in Japan Rugby League One – which can be watched live for free on RugbyPass TV.
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While both clubs are already semi-final-qualified, west Tokyo rivals Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath have a fierce rivalry that goes beyond the arrival of the semi-professional Top League in 2003.
The advent of a formal round-robin club competition in Japan 21 years ago provided an annual platform to grow the intensity of the derby on a national stage, and the antipathy has continued since the competition’s rebranding into Japan Rugby League One.
High scoring has been a feature in recent times. Three years ago, the teams produced a ridiculous 60-46 scoreline, when tackling was ‘optional’ on an afternoon that featured 13 tries. Last season yielded eight – three by Sungoliath winger Seiya Ozaki – as his side prevailed 40-34.
While Ozaki, who was last year’s leading try-scorer with 18 and sits second this term on 12, has feasted on Brave Lupus in recent seasons, this year’s outfit is a tougher nut to crack.
The serial try-scorer got his side’s only five-pointer as Toshiba won this year’s first derby 26-19, and the 28-year-old will be a marked man for the repeat, having scored against Brave Lupus in four of the last five meetings.
Brave Lupus have lost just once in 14 thus far, including last weekend’s one-point win over Mie Honda Heat when coach Todd Blackadder rested many of his front-liners with one eye to what was to come.
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They have not gone back-to-back against Sungoliath since 2010/11, a statistic the club will be keen to rectify given the two could meet again in the semi-finals.
A Toshiba win would confirm second on the ladder, leaving Suntory to squabble with Yokohama Canon Eagles over who finishes third, and leave them avoiding unbeaten league leaders Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights in the knockouts.
Yokohama, who shipped 50 points against the Wild Knights in the corresponding match last term, face the unfortunate Shizuoka. The Blue Revs are unbeaten in five but sit eighth – three places below where they would be had they scored just one more point in each of their last two outings – which were drawn.
One of those was against outgoing champions Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay, whose wretched run with injuries finally cleared last weekend, allowing the rare sight of all three of the club’s internationals – Wales full-back Liam Williams, Wallaby fly-half Bernard Foley and All Black hooker Dane Coles – to appear on the same stage.
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It was too much for Kobelco Kobe Steelers, who fell from the title race following their 39-29 defeat, and flags danger for each of Heat and Suntory, who have dates with the Spears before the regular season closes.
Misfiring Toyota Verblitz can keep afloat their chance of finishing fifth when they entertain the Eagles, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars will drop Ricoh Black Rams into the promotion/relegation series should they prevail when the two meet.
Saturday’s final match of a day when a full round of Division One will be played sees the Wild Knights entertain one-win Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.
They will be expected to notch up win number 15 for the season even though coach Robbie Deans is resting several of his frontliners ahead of the upcoming playoffs. Incredibly, the Wild Knights have won 85 of their last 88 games in the league, with another drawn.
- Click here to access RugbyPass TV. Its two live games this Saturday are Lupus versus Sungoliath and Verblitz against Eagles
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
3 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments