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Round 12 of the Japan Rugby League One in Division 1 sprung some surprises at both ends of the table, with Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo assuming control at the top of the Division One standings by inflicting a second regular-season defeat for Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, and at the other end of the table, Urayasu D-Rocks won only their second game of the season to close to within eight points of safety to try and avoid the Replacement Battle (promotion/relegation).
Round 12 of the Japan Rugby League One in Division 1 sprung some surprises at both ends of the table, with Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo assuming control at the top of the Division One standings by inflicting a second regular-season defeat for Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, and at the other end of the table, Urayasu D-Rocks won only their second game of the season to close to within eight points of safety to try and avoid the Replacement Battle (promotion/relegation).
For the teams chasing a semifinal berth, there are only five points separating sixth and ninth place on the log.
We start with the 42-31 Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo win in Tokyo, which was their third win in a row over the Wild Knights. Tries from the likes of All Black backrower Shannon Frizell (his fourth this campaign), and hooker Mamoru Harada with a brace, it was mercurial Richie Mo’unga who pulled the strings for the defending champions to inflict a first back-to-back defeat for the six-time national champions’ since the 2018-19 campaign! Japanese legend Michael Leitch was the man of the match - heading into the round he was already 20+ tackles clear at the top of the season’s tackle count.
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay 41-24 win over Yokohama Canon Eagles sees them close in on the Wild Knights and they are now only two points off second place. It was also the 22nd-straight win at their western Tokyo home base of Spears Edoriku field and it means the Eagles have just one win in six games as their season is faltering.
Sitting in 4th place on the log, Shizuoka Blue Revs saw captain and man-of-the-match Kwagga Smith score a brace of tries in the first half as they went on to beat Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo, 31-25. That meant it was a winning debut for South African Sanele Nohamba and completed a double win for the season over the Eagles.
Greig Laidlaw’s Urayasu D-Rocks kept their slim hopes of avoiding the post-season relegation series alive by winning their second game, and again it came against Mie Honda Heat with a 39-31 victory at Suzuka Sports Garden. The score sheet was dotted with internationals as the first three tries were scored by Wallaby midfielder Samu Kerevi, Los Pumas backrower Pablo Matera and Springbok second rower Franco Mostert, before two second-half tries from Honda’s Brave Blossoms fullback Lemeki Lomano Lava. Honda’s Coach Kieran Crowley did confirm after the loss that Lemeki had picked up an injury in the defeat.
The game was in the balance but a late red card to Mostert for an illegal cleanout swung the match in the victor's favour as Urayasu backrower Hendrick Tui and Soma Matsumoto secured the win with a try each.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars beat eleventh-placed Toyota Verblitz 31-22, with the Steve Hansen-coached side falling to their ninth defeat this season, while it was a 5th win of the campaign for Glen Delaney’s side. Kurt-lee Arendse, on loan from the Bulls in South Africa, scored his 5th try in his debut JRLO season which he has been mainly playing from fullback and wing, but it was South African-born second rower Walt Steenkamp with two tries who was the man-of-the-match.
Special mention to 40-year-old hooker Yoshimitsu Yasue who played a half for Dynaboars on his 150th appearance!
Rugby league recruit Joseph Manu did score a brace of tries for Verblitz in an attempted comeback but his 8 tries for the season couldn't prevent another loss.
In Sunday’s only Division 1 fixture, Kobelco Kobe Steelers avenged last month’s two-point defeat to Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath as winger Kanta Matsunaga scored in the final minute of regulation time to secure the 39-37 win.
The result means Dave Rennie’s side are still in contention for a fourth straight appearance in the League One playoffs, while Kosei Ono’s Sungoliath side has lost three in a row, and still needs to face three of the top four before the regular season ends and face an uphill battle.
Saturday 22 March 2025
Urayasu D-Rocks 39-31 Mie Honda Heat at Mie
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay 41-24 Yokohama Canon Eagles at Tokyo
Shizuoka Blue Revs 31-25 Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo at Shizuoka
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars 31-22 Toyota Verblitz at Gifu
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 42-31 Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights at Tokyo
Sunday 23 March 2025
Kobelco Kobe Steelers 39-37 Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath at Tokyo