De Jager returns for top-of-the-table clash in Japan

JAPAN LEAGUE ONE PREVIEW: Springbok Lood de Jager return to action when his side the Wild Knights face their number one challenger Kubota Spears on Saturday.

The Springbok second row was given a rest to get him ready for the visit of their unbeaten rivals, while the Wallaby wing Marika Koroibete also returns after he was on paternity leave last weekend for the birth of his fourth child.

Amid a range of fascinating individual duels, with Japanese captain Atsushi Sakate going up against Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx, Koroibete taking the Spears’ try-scoring whizz kid Haruto Kida, and Wallaby Bernard Foley reacquainting himself with his Brave Blossoms’ counterpart Takuya Yamasawa among them; the game also continues the coaching rivalry between Kiwi Robbie Deans and his South African counterpart Frans Ludeke.

This dates back to their time in Super Rugby at the helm of the Crusaders and Lions respectively, with Deans getting the better of the Lions when they met.

Both men won multiple Super Rugby titles: the Crusaders won five while Deans was at the helm (2000, 2002, 2005,

2006, 2008) while Ludeke won it twice after moving from the Lions to the Bulls (2009, 2010).

Kubota arrive as the league’s highest scorers, having scored 86 points and 11 tries more than their rivals, but they meet a Wild Knights’ outfit whose attack is sharpening, with the home side having exceeded 40 in their last three outings, scoring six tries on each occasion.

Significantly the defending champions also boast the league’s most frugal defence, having conceded just 109 points in nine matches, 97 less than Kubota.

The Spears know better than anyone the significance of that where Panasonic is involved, having been held to 24 points across their meetings with the Wild Knights last term, while their rivals totalled 59 in two comfortable wins.

Meanwhile, Springbok scrumhalf Faf De Klerk will reignite his rivalry with former Crusaders No.9 Bryn Hall when the Eagles face Blue Revs on Friday.

De Klerk and Hall met twice already with the Springbok coming up second best on both occasions in Super Rugby finals, while he was with the Johannesburg-based Lions.

De Klerk's team Yokohama Canon Eagles are looking to close the gap on the top three, Blue Revs simply want to net a big fish after their latest ‘hard luck’ story against third-placed Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.

Despite scoring the first try, the Blue Revs went down by eight, denied even a bonus point from a performance that

deserved more.

Only twice among their six defeats has the losing margin been in double digits, and while they have only twice managed to get over the winning line, beating two of the sides ranked below them, the Blue Revs’ level of competitiveness against the league’s best makes them a potential banana skin for both the Eagles, but also the Spears whom the face in Match Day 11.

Not that the Eagles will be taking anything for granted.

Canon’s only loss in six was suffered in the last minute against the league leaders, suggests they are getting their strategy right.

Given the Blue Revs have run them close in each of their last two meetings should ensure the Eagles don’t get too

far ahead of themselves.

In Division two, Urayasu D-Rocks will be looking to continue their conquest of Division Two when they travel to Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks who – thanks to the Hino Red Dolphins' withdrawal – have picked up two wins by default but have not played for over a month.

While the Blue Sharks, who last suited up on January 21, face a tall order trying to stop the Division’s runaway leaders, bottom-of-the-table Kamaishi Seawaves will be eying an upset when they welcome Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi to Iwate’s Reconstruction Stadium.

Despite having been outclassed 64-14 in their earlier meeting at Aichi, the Seawaves were brave in defeat in each of their subsequent matches against Urayasu, and especially Honda, which suggests the Shuttles may well find a different beast on their trip north.

Fixtures: 

Friday, March 3

Yokohama Eagles v Blue Revs 

(Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo - Kick-off:19.00 (JT))

Saturday, March 4

Green Rockets v Black Rams

(Kashiwanoha Park Stadium, Chiba - Kick-off: 12.00 (JT))

Brave Lupus v Kobe Steelers

(Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo - Kick-off: 12.00 (JT))

Wild Knights v Kubota Spears

(Kumagaya Sports and Culture Park Rugby Field, Saitama - Kick-off: 15.00 (JT))

Sunday, March 5

Hanazono Liners v Sagamihara Dynaboars

(Higashiosaka City Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka - Kick-off: 12.00 (JT))

Suntory Sungoliath v Toyata Verblitz

(Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo - Kick-off: 14.30 (JT))