Another challenging task for Kwagga Smith in Japan

01/16/2025 08:15 AM

ROUND FIVE PREVIEW: Fresh from their first defeat of the season, it would come as no surprise to have heard that the Blue Revs had been hitting the tackle bags harder at training following last weekend's reverse against the Eagles.

Having conceded 87 points in their last two outings, the Kwagga Smith-led side will certainly need to sharpen up defensively for Saturday's assignment where they face Brave Lupus.

Even without their All Black ace Richie Mo'unga, who hasn't appeared since round two but returns against Blue Revs, the defending champions are purring along nicely, unbeaten in their last 13 outings; a run which includes a 59-20 hammering of the Blue Revs in April.

Toshiba also beat the Blue Revs earlier last season, with star winger Jone Naikabula scoring four tries in their 43-30 win, before adding two more in the later game.

Naikabula promises to be a major threat again, with the 30-year-old Brave Blossoms international warming into the
season nicely after scoring in each of the last three games.

Saturday's other matches see a Black Rams outfit who have been gallant in each of their losses to Wild Knights and Verblitz, trip across the capital to Spears' Edogawa Athletic Stadium fortress, a venue where the 2022-23 champions are almost impregnable.

Although the Spears have been playing well, missed opportunities against the Wild Knights and last weekend against Sungoliath, mean they are already eight points behind Wild Knights, despite having lost just once.

Frans Ludeke's men have been boosted by the arrival of All Black outside back Shaun Stevenson on a season-long loan. Stevenson will make his debut off the bench in a game Spears dare not lose, lest they give up more ground on the leaders.

Eagles are in similar territory, only above the fifth-placed Spears on point's differentials, although they are gaining momentum after a slow start, with Faf de Klerk's side having won their last two.

The Eagles entertain Dynaboars on Saturday, with the seventh-placed visitors looking up the point's table, and not down, after Sunday's shock win over Kobe.

Glen Delaney's men have been inspired by the arrival of Springbok winger Kurt-Lee Arense, whose expertise in taking try-scoring opportunities – he has four from as many appearances – has given the group a sense of belief that was missing at times last term when they narrowly avoided being sucked into the promotion/relegation series.

Mie Heat were forced to defend their Division One status in that series, with Argentinian Pablo Matera a big factor in their narrow escape from relegation.

The former Los Pumas skipper has again been a major influence, but he will likely be missing after last weekend's red card for illegal head contact, which is a big loss as the Heat look to right the ship after back-to-back defeats.

To do so, they will have to deny an opponent who put 94 points on them across two matches last term, although times have certainly changed, with new Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath coach Kosei Ono still to celebrate his first win after draws against Verblitz and the Spears.

The last time Sungoliath won a regular season match was eight games ago, ironically against Sunday's opponents.

Languishing 11th on the ladder, Sungoliath will need to get moving quickly before the gap to sixth place, and the last qualifying position for the play-offs, becomes too great.

That position is currently held by their hosts at Suzuka Gardens.

Sunday's third game takes Verblitz to Kyushu as the 'home' team for a difficult engagement with the Wild Knights.

Despite boasting the likes of Kieran Read, Michael Hooper, Beauden Barrett, Joe Launchbury, Pieter Steph du Toit, Aaron Smith and Kazuki Himeno in recent seasons, Verblitz has lost to the men in blue on all seven occasions since rugby resumed in Japan after Covid, conceding 40+ points five times.

This includes in last year's spectacular capitulation at Kumagaya where the visitors jumped ahead 27-8 at halftime, with centre Viliame Tuidraki bagging a hattrick, before folding in the second period as the Wild Knights waltzed to a 43-27 win.

It was no better in the return match, where Verblitz failed to fire a shot and was swatted aside 40-7.

With flyhalf Rikiya Matsuda having swapped sides after playing 87 games, winning two titles, and scoring 788 points for the Wild Knights, Verblitz Director of Rugby Steve Hansen will be hoping the ex-Brave Blossoms international is the missing link as he looks to get one over his old boss at the Crusaders, Robbie Deans, for the first time since his arrival in Japanese club rugby following the 2019 World Cup.

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Source: Japan League One