Wallaby versus All Black flyhalf battle in Japan
PREVIEW: Japan Rugby League One boasts a batch of quality international flyhalves to rival any league in the world, and three of them will look to helm their sides towards the semifinals as competition resumes after last weekend’s bye.
Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley will have a big role to play as second-placed Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay tackle winless Hanazono Kintetsu Liners on Saturday, knowing a win will guarantee their place in the playoffs.
Already the leading point-scorer in the league with 156, Foley has a third Rugby World Cup appearance in sight after being included in the Wallaby training squad named by the former Brave Blossoms’ coach Eddie Jones.
Match Day 14 opens on Friday with the 50-cap All Black Aaron Cruden calling the shots for Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath in what could be a testing outing against his former side, Kobelco Kobe Steelers, who need at least one win from the last three to stay clear of the replacement battle.
Cruden will face off against his former understudy, the exciting youngster Seungsin Lee, who returns for Kobe after having missed the last four matches due to concussion
After learning a few tricks off the veteran All Black in the maiden Japan Rugby League One, Lee debuted for Japan in the mid-year series with France, and finished the year with six caps, which included starting in the Brave Blossoms’ gallant 38-31 loss to New Zealand.
Time is running out for NEC Green Rockets, but they will have to negotiate long-time Brave Blossoms pivot Yu Tamura and his high-flying Yokohama Canon Eagles in Sunday’s only match in the division to stay alive, as defeat will confirm their place alongside Kintetsu in this year’s relegation dogfight.
Another Brave Blossoms’ flyhalf, Rikiya Matsuda, is looking up, not down, as Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights chase a win that could guarantee them top spot on the standings, and a semi-final against the fourth-ranked finisher, should other results fall in their favour.
Standing in their way are Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo, whose run of good form has tapered off, although they still control their own destiny in the race for a sixth place.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo sit one place above the Black Rams but must beat Shizuoka Blue Revs to keep the semifinal race open.
The other tie of the round has ramifications in the battle for sixth, as well as the relegation series, with the need of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars’ the greater of the two, when they visit Toyota Verblitz.
While Sagamihara trails eighth-placed Verblitz by just four points on the standings, they sit on the relegation precipice, four adrift of safety with time running out.
The process of determining who Sagamihara might play, should they be condemned to the two-legged replacement battle, begins on Sunday when Finalization starts in Division Two.
The top three play a round robin series to determine the order for matchups against Division One’s tailenders.
Unbeaten Urayasu D-Rocks kick off the series by hosting Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi.
Division Three sees leaders NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes on the cusp of the title as they travel to last-placed Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions.
DIVISION ONE
Friday, April 7
TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH v KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS
Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo, 19.00 (Japtan time)
Saturday, April 8
KUBOTA SPEARS FUNABASHI TOKYO BAY v HANAZONO KINTETSU LINERS
Edogawa Athletic Stadium, Tokyo, 12.00 (Japan Time)
TOYOTA VERBLITZ v SAGAMIHARA DYNABOARS
Gifu Memorial Centre Nagaragawa, Gifu, 14.40 (Japan Time)
WILD KNIGHTS v BLACK RAMS TOKYO
Kumagaya Sports and Culture Park Rugby Field, Saitama, 17.00 (Japan time)
BLUE REVS v BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO
Ecopa Stadium, Shizuoka, 18.00 (Japan time)
Sunday, April 9
NEC GREEN ROCKETS v YOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES
Kashiwanoha Park Stadium, Chiba, 14.30 (Japan time)
DIVISIONS TWO & THREE
Sunday, April 9
URAYASU D-ROCKS v TOYOTA INDUSTRIES SHUTTLES AICHI at Tokyo
Saturday, April 8
CHUGOKU ELECTRIC POWER RED REGULIONS v NTT DOCOMO RED HURRICANES at Hiroshima
Sunday, April 9
KURITA WATER GUSH AKISHIMA v MAZDA SKYACTIVS HIROSHIMA at Kanagawa