ＲＵＧＢＹ　ＪＥＲＳＥＹ

(Written by AZUL: June 11, 2023)

The play-off final to conclude this season’s Japan Rugby League One took place on 20 May 2023 at the National Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Pictured above is the League One championship cup. The person holding it was the TV personality Sho Sakurai.

According to the weather forecast, this year’s Kanto region was close to the start of the rainy season, and the weather was delicate, with rain likely to fall on this day. However, as might be expected from a final match, the event attracted a large number of spectators.

The total number of spectators on the day was 41,794, about 8,000 more than last year’s final. I think the increase in spectators was partly due to the reduced impact of the new corona outbreak. As expected, the attendance did not match the Japan vs NZ match last summer(64,000). This year, RWC 2023 will take place and I hope that the domestic training matches next month will be more exciting.

The schedule for the national team’s training matches just before RWC 2023 is as follows:

8 Jul vs All Blacks XV – match 1: Tokyo

15 Jul vs All Blacks XV – match 2: Kumamoto

22 July vs SAMOA: Sapporo

29 Jul vs TONGA: Osaka

5 Aug vs FIJI: Tokyo

The two teams that made it to the prestigious finals were,

Panasonic Wild Nights and Kubota Spears.

The two teams that made it to the prestigious finals were,

Panasonic Wild Nights and Kubota Spears.

Wild Nights are aiming to win the championship for the third season in a row, while their opponents, Spears, are aiming for their first championship.

Let me introduce both teams.

First, let me introduce the current champions, Panasonic Wild Nights.

The club was founded in 1960. This prestigious team has won the Japanese Rugby Championship six times. The Wild Nights’ winning pattern is to let their opponents attack in the first half but keep up with them, and then in the second half, they quickly fold up to win the game in reverse order. The team as a whole shows their high overall strength with a well-coordinated defence and attack. Will the team’s iron-clad defence also show in this match that they can capitalise on their opponents’ tiredness and mistakes to score points? And can today’s final opponents, Spears, prevent Wild Nights from winning again?

This day’s Wild Nights starting line-up was as follows.

Panasonic Wild Nights
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Keita Inagaki	186cm	116kg	31	Japan 44cap
2	Atsushi Sakade	180cm	104kg	28	Japan 32cap
3	Asaeri Ai VALU	187cm	115kg	29	Japan 23cap
4	Mark ABBOTT	197cm	112kg	32	NZ 14cap
5	Lood De JAGER	206cm	127kg	30	Soth Africa 65cap
6	Shota FUKUI	186cm	101kg	23	Japan
7	Lachlan BOSHIER	191cm	104kg	27
8	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	28	Japan 11cap
9	Keisuke UCHIDA	179cm	86kg	30	Japan 22cap
10	Rikiya Matsuda	181cm	92kg	28	Japan 29cap
11	Marika KOROIBETE	182cm	96kg	30	Australia 51cap
12	Damian De ALLENDE	190cm	105kg	31	Soth Africa 68cap
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	25	Japan 9cap
14	Tomoki OSADA	179cm	90kg	23
15	Ryuji Noguchi	177cm	83kg	27	Japan 14cap

** Player to watch **.

Shota FUKUI. 186 cm, 101 kg. 23 years old. Position = Flanker. Japan national team candidate. A graduate of Higashi Fukuoka High School. At 23 years of age, he is a regular in the Wild Nights team, which features players representing many countries. A fighter who is never afraid to face any opponent, and his excellent reading of the game ensures that he is involved at key points in attack and defence. He is expected to be a key player for Japan at the upcoming RWC 2023.

Next, I introduce KUBOTA SPEARS, who were fired up after their first appearance in the finals.

KUBOTA SPEARS was founded in 1980. Since the Top League was first established, the team was in the bottom half of the league and was once relegated to a lower league before crawling back up and making a breakthrough around 2020. Regular players boast the league’s No. 1 size and physical strength, and are always dominant at set pieces. The team shows particular strength in the battle for the ball by the FWs. In the season’s match against Wild Nights, they were defeated 15-30. In previous matches, Spears had a very poor record against Wild Nights, winning 4- losing 18. Can Spears make new history in Japanese rugby in this final?

Today’s starting line-up was as follows.

KUBOTA SPEARS
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yota KAMIMORI	172cm	105kg	28
2	Malkolm Marx	189cm	117kg	28	South Africa　57cap
3	Kengo KITAGAWA	178cm	110kg	30	Japan　3cap
4	Yuki AOKI	188cm	105kg	30
5	Ruan BOTHA	205cm	120kg	30
6	Finau TUPA	190cm	115kg	33
7	Takeo SUENAGA	178cm	98kg	28
8	Faulua Makisi	187cm	112kg	25	Japan　5cap
9	Kazuhiro TANIGUCHI	164cm	73kg	27
10	Bernard Foley	182cm	89kg	33	Australia　75cap
11	Haruto KIDA	176cm	90kg	23
12	Harumichi TATEKAWA	180cm	93kg	33	Japan　56cap
13	Ryan CROTTY	181cm	94kg	34	New Zealand 48cap
14	Koga Nezuka	173cm	82kg	24	Japan　1cap
15	Gerhard Van Den Heever	192cm	102kg	33	Japan　5cap

** Player to watch **.

Harumichi TAYEKAWA. 180 cm, 93 kg. 33 years old. Position = CTB, SO. national team cap = 56. from Tenri University. Captain of KUBOTA SPEARS. A key player in Japan’s breakthrough RWC 2015. Apart from the Japan national team, he also played many matches for SUPER RUGBY. He was unable to win a championship with his previous teams, but in his seventh year as captain of KUBOTA, he was aiming to win the championship on this final stage. His style of play shows a risk-taking and physicality in attack and defence. He also possesses the same wide vision and precise passing and kicking skills as he showed at RWC 2015.

Let’s get the match underway.

First 11 minutes of the first half:

The game was played in a solid manner as both teams were keen to win. A stalemate ensued as both sides fought for the ball in a densely contested battle, with the forces being so close that SPEARS won the ball back from their opponents in a densely contested battle, only for Wild Nights to win it back two minutes later.

The Wild Nights pushed forward into enemy territory, close to the in-goal, where the SPEARS defence held firm and they were unable to score a try. They were then pushed back to around the 10m line of enemy area, where SPEARS were infringed. Here, Wild Nights had the right of the PG and SO　MATSUDA was in a relatively comfortable position but failed.

20 minutes into the first half:

SPEARS entered enemy territory in a densely contested battle, where Wild Nights committed a Not Role Away infringement. Here, SPEARS opted for a PG, which SO FOLEY converted to make the score 0-3. The first score was done by SPEARS.

26 minutes into the first half:

The game had developed to this point and SPEARS had a slight advantage in the scrum and lineout of the set-pieces: even when Wild Nights kicked off and pushed deep into enemy territory, they were unable to secure their own ball in the scrum and lineout there. As a result, they were pushed back into their own territory, from where SPEARS made a series of attacks to push forward and close in on the enemy’s in-goal. This time Wild Nights were fouled for offside and SPEARS opted for a PG. As it was only about 10 metres from the front of goal, SO FOLEY successfully converted the PG and the score was 0-6.

34 minutes of the first half:

Wild Nights counter-attacked from their own half, and with an extra man on the left flank, a pass to their trump card WTB KOLOIBETE was knocked on, an uncharacteristic Wild Nights infringement and an opportunity squandered.

However, FB NOGUCHI then kicked the ball back into his own half and committed an infringement when his opponent contested the ball. Here, Wild Nights opted for a PG, which SO MATSUDA converted to make the score 3-6.

38 minutes into the first half:

Shortly after the kick-off at the end of the first half, Wild Nights committed a painful infringement deep in their own half. It was 15 metres in front of the goal post. Here, SPEARS opted for a PG and SO FOLEY was solidly successful, making the score 3-9.

With this score, the first half came to an end. In this match, Wild Nights’ minor errors in the deciding moments were noticeable. It was a slightly worrying sign.

Now for the start of the second half.

6 minutes into the second half:

While the game was going on in the Wild Nights camp, a Wild Nights player committed an offside infringement. In this position, about 20 metres from the front of the goal posts, SPEARS opted for a PG. The penalty kick was taken by SPEARS’ SO FOLEY, making the score 3-12. The first goal of the second half was scored by SPEARS.

18 minutes into the second half:

Wild Nights, as usual, went on the offensive around this time and SPEARS were repeatedly fouled after getting into their own half and were then forced into a series of infringements, right up to the 22m line. Here, Wild Nights secured the ball from a lineout on their own ball, and then tried to push forward in a maul. The maul continued for nearly 10 meters and Wild Nights scored a try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal. The scorer was hooker HORIE, who came on as a substitute. It was the first try scored by either team in the match.

The converted goal after the try was also successful and the score was 10-12.

25 minutes of the second half:

During this period, Wild Nights showed a great concentration throughout the team to connect with the ball. The attacking period continued, putting pressure on the opposition and closing in on the in-goal. The Wild Nights then moved to the right and the ball was passed to WTB OSADA who was positioned on the right line. OSADA moved forward and cut in to score a try right in the in-goal, passing three SPEARS defenders. The crowd erupted into the biggest cheer of the day. A converted goal after the try failed, but the score was 15-12 to Wild Nights.

29 minutes into the second half:

The stadium was buzzing in the aftermath of the Wild Nights try earlier, but this time, the crowds were mesmerised by SPEARS.

SPEARS kicked off into enemy territory, and a high punt was kicked back to WTB NEZUKA, who successfully re-captured it. From here, SPEARS moved to the left, CTB TATEKAWA kicked a pass and WTB KIDA, who was unmarked at the time, caught the ball and went on to score a try in the middle left.

The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 15-17.

With about 10 minutes to go, the score difference was only 2 points, and Wild Nights would have to score another PG in enemy territory to regain the lead. In other words, SPEARS could not commit any infringements in their own half. The remainder of the half was very tense.

35 minutes of the second half:

Wild Nights advance to the enemy 22m line, and then turn to the right, where a pass from WTB KOLOIBETE fails to get across to FB NOGUCHI, who is positioned on the outside, and goes off the touchline.

As the game approached the final stages, SPEARS stopped trying to force the ball and concentrated on blocking their opponents’ advances.

SPEARS continued to hold onto the ball and the game came to an end. The final score was 15-17.

KUBOTA SPEARS finally won the championship for the first time since the club was founded in 1980. They have added a new page to the history of Japanese rugby. Congratulations to the KUBOTA SPEARS.

And KUBOTA’s CTB TATEKAWA was named man of the match on the day. His kick-pass leading to the final try was the highlight of the match.

The season has come to an end with this match, but RWC 2023 awaits in the autumn. We look forward to more success from Japan’s national team players.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, May 28, 2023)

The 2023 Japan Rugby League One season reaches its climax. The play-off schedules are as follows:

13 May Semi-final 1: League 1st vs League 4th

14 May Semi-final 2: League 2nd vs League 3rd

19 May 3rd place play-off: loser of semi-final 1 vs loser of semi-final 2

20 May Final: winner of Semi Final 1 vs winner of Semi Final 2

This time, I watched the matches,

13 May Semi-final 1: Panasonic Wild Knights vs CANON EAGLES

The venue was Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato Ward, Tokyo, a sacred place for rugby in eastern Japan.

On the day of the match, there was an unfortunate light rain. However, despite the bad weather, there were 16,237 spectators on the day. This shows the high expectations of rugby fans in Japan.

Here is an update on the two teams for the day’s matches.

First up are the Panasonic Wild Knights, who are the 2023 League One 1st placed team. Their record this season was 15 wins－1 lose.

Last season’s League One champions, the Wild Knights head into this season’s play-offs with a second consecutive title on the line. Their only loss this season came against the Shizuoka Blue Revs on 15 Apr by a score of 25-44. The Blue Revs and Wild Knights matches are often close, but by the end the Blue Revs had the advantage in the scrums. It will be interesting to see how far Wild Knights can learn from that defeat and show their ability in this semi-final.

The starting line-up for today’s Wild　Knights is as follows.

Panasonic Wild Nights
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Keita Inagaki	186cm	116kg	31	Japan 44cap
2	Atsushi Sakade	180cm	104kg	28	Japan 32cap
3	Asaeri Ai VALU	187cm	115kg	29	Japan 23cap
4	Mark ABBOTT	197cm	112kg	32	NZ 14cap
5	Lood De JAGER	206cm	127kg	30	Soth Africa 65cap
6	Shota FUKUI	186cm	101kg	23	Japan
7	Lachlan BOSHIER	191cm	104kg	27
8	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	28	Japan 11cap
9	Keisuke UCHIDA	179cm	86kg	30	Japan 22cap
10	Rikiya Matsuda	181cm	92kg	28	Japan 29cap
11	Marika KOROIBETE	182cm	96kg	30	Australia 51cap
12	Damian De ALLENDE	190cm	105kg	31	Soth Africa 68cap
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	25	Japan 9cap
14	Tomoki OSADA	179cm	90kg	23
15	Ryuji Noguchi	177cm	83kg	27	Japan 14cap

** Player to watch **

Ryuji NOGUCHI. 177 cm, 83 kg, 27 years old. Position = FB, WTB. from Tokai University. Japan national team Cap = 14. As a FB, he has the overall ability to be No.1 in Japan when it comes to dealing with the opposing team’s kicks, his unmatched accuracy, his situational judgement and his top speed. The only thing missing is that his physique is a little inferior to that of FBs from strong foreign countries. However, there are FBs under 180 cm in other countries in Tier 1, so there is a possibility that he will be selected for the Japanese squad for the RWC 2023.

By the way, I would like to introduce the CANON Eagles, who will play against the Wild Knights.

The Eagles finished fourth in League One this season (10 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws) and, for the first time since their inception, have reached the play-offs. Under the guidance of renowned coach Sawaki, the EAGLES have steadily improved their ability every year. This season, the team’s squad was further strengthened by the addition of world-class SH De KLERK from the South African national team. In this season’s matches against WildKnights.

1/28: lost 19-21.

5/13: lost 51-20.

The EAGLES have yet to win against the WildKnights, but you never know until you try.

The EAGLES starting line-up for the day is as follows.

CANON Eagles
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Takato OKABE	180cm	105kg	28
2	Yusuke Niwai	174cm	95kg	31	Japan 10cap
3	Tatsuro SUGIMOTO	175cm	110kg	26
4	Max DOUGLAS	201cm	112kg	22
5	Liakimatagi MOLI	197cm	114kg	32
6	Kobus Van DYK	196cm	108kg	28
7	Naoto Shimada	181cm	99kg	31	Japan
8	Sione HARASILI	180cm	120kg	23
9	Faf DEKLARK	172cm	88kg	31	South Africa 44cap
10	Yu Tamura	181cm	92kg	34	Japan 70cap
11	Chihito MATSUI	183cm	88kg	28	Japan 2cap
12	Naoya MINAMIHASHI	178cm	86kg	33
13	Jesse Kriel	185cm	95kg	29	South Africa 58cap
14	Inoke BURUA	178cm	95kg	23
15	Jumpei OGURA	172cm	80kg	30	Japan 4cap

** Player to watch **

Inoke BURUA. 178 cm, 95 kg, 23 years old. Position = WTB. born in Fiji. He combines Fijian-specific outstanding speed with strong physicality. He has been a regular member of the Eagles since joining the club, scoring tries on a regular basis. He excels in attack, but also shows strength in defence.

Now, let the game begin.

Kick-off in light rain. As the match was played in the rain, both teams tried to use kicks to gain positional advantage over each other. Early in the start, Wild Knights prop VALU made an illegal tackle and was temporarily sent off. This seemed to give the EAGLES the advantage, but it was Wild Knights who took the game to the opposition in the early stages.

14 minutes into the first half:

After an early kicking duel, the Wild Knights were aggressive in their own half, looking to push forward. They created several try-scoring opportunities, but ultimately failed to score.

The Eagles, on the other hand, made a quick move into enemy territory and, after a penalty kick following an infringement by their opponents, made a quick move forward to near the enemy in-goal. This was once again blocked by the Wild Knights, but a foul on this occasion allowed the EAGLES to maul their way through a lineout and score a try on the left side of the enemy in-goal. The try was scored by EAGLES No. 8 HARASILI.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 0-7 to the EAGLES.

18 minutes into the first half:

Wild Knights kicked off after a try had been scored, and after entering enemy territory, the EAGLES committed a collapsing infringement in a scrum on their own ball, so they opted for a penalty kick. This was scored by SO MATSUDA to make the score 3-7.

20 minutes of the second half:

From the restart kick-off, the EAGLES made a series of attacks in enemy territory. A Wild Knights infringement in front of the opposition in-goal allowed the Eagles to get going and a long pass from SH　DEKLARK to WTB BURUA, who was waiting in the right hand corner, led to BURUA scoring a try in the middle of the right flank. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 3-14.

23rd and 29th minutes of the first half:

The Wild Knights were unable to score a try, but they did force an infringement deep in enemy territory, giving them the chance to take a penalty kick, which SO MATSUDA converted with two successful strikes. The score was 9-14 to the EAGLES.

35 minutes of the first half:

The Wild Knights again went close to the opposition’s in-goal in this period, with a series of attacks. Several try opportunities were created, but the EAGLES’ defender was at every turn to deny them. However, a series of attacks saw the ball go to SO　MATSUDA, who was close to the front of the goal posts, where he quickly scored a drop goal. The crowd in the stands cheered loudly for this lightning-fast move. The score was 12-14.

(SO MATSUDA’s DG was so quick that I could not get a photo in time. Shame.)

38 minutes of the first half:

The Eagles attacked in the opposition territory, and the Wild Knights kicked an in-goal drop-out from their own half, and SO　TAMURA of the Eagles received the ball near the half-way line, and from that position scored a drop goal from an estimated 45 metres. The score was 12-17. I had never seen a game where both teams exchanged drop goals before. I was happy to be able to watch such a match. Maybe DG will be Japan’s secret weapon at RWC 2023.

42 minutes of the first half:

Towards the end of the first half, the Wild Nights were awarded a penalty kick after SO TAMURA of the EAGLES made a dangerous tackle on SO MATSUDA of the Wild Nights during a series of attacks by the Wild Nights in enemy territory. Wild Nights’ SO MATSUDA steadily took it, making the score 15-17.

Note that EAGLES’ SO TAMURA was temporarily sent off for 10 minutes from the start of the second half for this foul.

The first half ended with this score, with the EAGLES leading by two points at the break. However, the EAGLES will be without their commanding SO TAMURA for the first 10 minutes of the second half, and the focus of the second half will be on how far the EAGLES can stick it out.

Let’s get the second half underway.

2 minutes into the second half:

The EAGLES kicked off to start the game, and Wild Nights catched the ball from the kick off and launched a series of attacks, once kicking the ball into enemy territory, they won it again. As expected, Wild Nights started the second half with everyone stepping up a gear and not losing the ball as often.

Wild Nights used the ground wide and deployed the ball, with CTB RILEY cutting inside and coming close to the opposition’s goal posts. From the resulting tight pack, WTB KOLOIBETE sidestepped and scored a try almost directly behind the goal posts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-17. Early in the second half, Wild Nights took the lead for the first time in the match.

11 minutes into the second half:

EAGLES could not let Wild Nights pull away and went on the offensive. They pushed deep into enemy territory and a move to the right saw WTB BURUA, who was on the outside, close in on the opposition in-goal, only to be pushed off his line by the Wild Nights defenders. However, Wild Nights were then fouled for offside, whereupon EAGLES opted for a penalty goal, which was scored by FB OGURA, making the score 22-20.

13 minutes into the second half:

The score was close at two points apiece, but gradually the Wild Nights began to push forward on the offensive. After a kicking duel to take possession, Wild Nights FB NOGUCHI jumped on a high ball kicked by his own team and successfully re-captured it, from where Wild Nights connected with the ball and finally WTB KOLOIBETE, running in from behind at full speed, crossed the line from behind to score behind the enemy He ran in behind the in-goal posts to score a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 29-20.

17 minutes of the second half:

During this period, both teams kicked each other and tried to put the game in their own favour, but the individual skills of Wild Nights’ FB Noguchi allowed the Wild Nights to attack in rapid succession, always in the opposition’s half. Finally, Wild Nights CTB RILEY broke through the EAGLES’ defense before the goal post and scored a try in the middle on the left of the in-goal area. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score, 36-20.

30 minutes into the second half:

Wild Nights were fouled by EAGLES in a scrum set up slightly to the right near the enemy 10m line and opted for a penalty kick in this position. This was scored by Wild Nights’ SO MATSUDA, making the score 39-20.

31 minutes into the second half:

The EAGLES were getting a little tired and in enemy territory when the Wild Nights attacked, the initial response of the defense was delayed and when the ball was passed to WTB KOLOIBETE, who was on the left edge of the Wild Nights attack, no one on the defense was on hand. As it was, KOLOIBETE ran all the way to the enemy in-goal to score his third try of the day. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 44-20.

36 minutes of the second half:

In the closing minutes, the Wild Nights are still on the attack. They were closing in on the opposition’s in-goal, and after winning the ball from a lineout on the left, they moved forward in a maul and Wild Nights hooker HORIE, who was controlling the maul from the back row, scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 51-20.

The game ended with the score 51-20, with Wild Nights winning the match and progressing to the play-off final on 20 May, and the Eagles losing the match and moving on to the third-place play-off on 19 May. Will Wild Nights be able to win back-to-back League One titles? And can the EAGLES win their final game of the season?

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, May 10, 2023)

This time, I went to Sagamihara GION Stadium to watch the final match of League One Division 1.

First of all, let’s check the standings of League One Division 1 at the start of the final round:

2022-23	League One Order(Division 1)	2023.4.22
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	GD
1	Saitama Wildnights	15	1	0	69	269
2	Kubota Spears	13	1	1	61	281
3	Tokyo Sungoliath	12	3	0	55	219
4	Yokohama Eagles	9	2	4	49	241
5	Tokyo Brave Lupas	10	6	0	41	164
6	Toyota Verblitz	7	8	0	33	9
7	Shizuoka Blue Revs	5	2	8	30	11
8	Black Rams Tokyo	5	10	0	26	20
9	Kobe Steelers	5	10	0	25	-73
10	Sagamihara Dynaboars	4	10	1	20	-239
11	Green Rockets Tokatsu	2	13	0	9	-262
12	Hanazono Riners	1	14	0	5	-540
	WP=Winning Point
	GD=Goal Difference

As of 22 April, the teams that will advance to the play-offs (i.e. the top four teams) and the teams that will participate in the replacement round (i.e. the bottom three teams) have been confirmed.

The home team this time, Dynaboars, finished 10th out of 12 teams in Division 1 and will play in the replacement round.

Their opponents in the round-robin matches will be the Toyota Shuttles, the third-placed team in Division 2, who will play two matches on a home-and-away basis from 5 May. The teams in the replacement round have a small difference in ability, so it is difficult to predict who will win. Also, both players and fans are very passionate in their support as they never want to lose.

In this sense, the final League One match of the day is also an important one. Especially for Dynaboars, the season is not over yet, so we have to make sure that the players are in peak condition for the replacement game.

Let me now introduce both teams for the match of the day.

First, let me introduce the home team, Sagamihara Dynaboars.

The photo above shows the Dynastars, the cheerleaders of the Dynaboars. On this day, they also cheered us up with their support.

Before the season started, there were pessimistic predictions that the Dynaboars would finish in last place. However, at the start of the League One season, they were the stars of the first half of the season, defeating last season’s top teams, RICOH Black Rams, Toyota Verblitz and TOSHIBA Brave Lupas.

The team’s dramatic run of victories has given hope for the team’s prospects for next season and beyond, and Dynaboars fans will have shown a lot of growth to cheer for. Today’s starting line-up is as follows:

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shunsuke SAKAMOTO	180cm	107kg	24
2	Yoshimitsu YASUE	176cm	109kg	38	Japan 2caps
3	Jun MORIMOTO	175cm	115kg	25
4	Epineri ULUIVITI	196cm	122kg	26
5	Walt STEENKAMP	203cm	121kg	27
6	Sam CHONCKIT	198cm	106kg	27
7	Yusuke SAKAMOTO	176cm	95kg	24
8	Jackson HEMOPO	194cm	112kg	29	NZ 5caps
9	Ryuta NAKAMORI	174cm	75kg	22
10	Matt TOOMUA	182cm	90kg	32	Australia 59caps
11	Satoshi KOIZUMI	178cm	86kg	22
12	Henry BRACKIN	180cm	95kg	34	Japan 7th
13	Nozomi NARA	179cm	94kg	26
14	Toh Jr. VAEGA	175cm	85kg	25
15	Kazuki ISHIDA	173cm	85kg	26

The Dynaboars can be characterised as a generally defensively sound team. In other words, their scoring ability is lower than other Division 1 teams. The Dynaboars rugby this season is all attack and all defence, as there are no outstanding attacking core players.

** Player to watch **

Satoshi KOIZUMI. 178 cm, 86 kg, 22 years old. Waseda University graduate. Born in Sagamihara City, home of the Dynaboars, he started playing rugby at Sagamihara RS. A rookie with a long left-footed kick, he is the team’s most promising player, having earned a starting place towards the end of League One. Fans are hoping that his development will lead to a breakthrough for the Dynaboars.

By the way, let’s introduce the Visitor Team of the day, the RICOH Black Rams.

As the team name Black Rams symbolises, many of the players in the team are from the southern hemisphere, with players from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Tonga, making for a powerful attacking force. In contrast to the Dynaboars, the first half of the season saw a string of defeats and a poor run of results, but in the second half of the season, the team’s attacking rugby began to work and they won a number of games in a row. Compared to last season, the team has a stronger squad of players, which has led to this season’s breakthrough.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Black Rams
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kazuma NISHI	180cm	112kg	27
2	Ko SATO	168cm	95kg	23
3	Taichi CHIBA	176cm	117kg	28
4	Michael Stolberg	204cm	120kg	30
5	Lotoahea Pohiva YAMATO	192cm	115kg	34
6	Amato Fakatava	195cm	118kg	28
7	Brodi McCURRAN	192cm	105kg	28
8	Nathan HUGHES	196cm	126kg	31	England 22caps
9	Shota YAMAMOTO	166cm	74kg	32
10	Kohei Horigome	177cm	89kg	27
11	Netani Vakayalia	180cm	88kg	24
12	Hadleigh PARKES	187cm	103kg	35	Wales 29caps
13	Amanaki Taiyo LOTOAHEA	189cm	100kg	25	Japan 8caps
14	Yuta KURIHARA	179cm	90kg	25
15	Izac Lucas	178cm	84kg	23

** Players to watch **.

Isaac Lucas. 178 cm, 84 kg, 23 years old. Born in Australia; U20 Australian national team. Position = SO, FB. the face of the Black Rams and a key player in attack. His run play is characteristic and his ability to break through once he gets into opposition territory makes him a threat to the opposing team.

Let’s kick off today’s match.

The attendance on the day was 3,140. This was the last match of the season, which was a digestive match, but it attracted a large crowd. You could feel the high expectations for the local team.

17 minutes into the first half:

Despite not scoring, the Black Rams continued to attack in opposition territory throughout, with Black Rams No 8 Nathan HUGHES making several effective breakthroughs, and the Black Rams opted for a penalty after a foul on the Dynaboars during an attack in opposition territory. The lineout was on the right near the enemy 22m line and was a own ball lineout. Here, the Black Rams won the ball and mauled their way forward and scored a try in the middle right of the enemy in-goal. The score was scored by No. 8 Nathan HUGHES. A conversion goal after the try failed, leaving the score 0-5 to the Black Rams.

24 minutes into the first half:

From the kick-off after the try, the Dynaboars attacked in enemy territory, but were unable to make headway when deployed and were eventually forced back into their own territory by a Black Rams counter attack.

Here, the Black Rams entered enemy territory and, in much the same position as they had been at the time of the first try, they were penalised for an infringement by their opponents. Here, Black Rams SO HORIGOME kicked out to the 22m line on the right side of the opposition line, giving the Black Rams the opportunity to take the ball out of their own half, where they formed a maul and followed the same pattern as before, looking to score a try. However, the Dynaboars broke up the maul midway through, so it had to be rearranged.

From another lineout, the Black Rams successfully formed a maul and raced into the middle of the opposition in-goal on the right, with hooker SATOH scoring the try. The conversion goal after the try failed, leaving the score 0-10.

30 minutes of the first half:

The Dynaboars had been poor on the flanks, struggling to win possession, and when they did get to the BK, they were caught by the opposition defence and were unable to break the gain line.

The Black Ramas again followed the same pattern, scoring their third try of the day from a lineout, forming a maul and rolling into the opposition territory to score a try. The try was scored by No.8 Nathan Hughes. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 0-17, giving Black Rams a big lead.

38 minutes into the first half:

Black Rams deployed deep in enemy territory and looked to have scored a try in the middle right, but the referee ruled it a no try.

Shortly afterwards, however, the Black Rams attacked through sign play following an infringement by their opponents in front of the opposition goal, and a maul saw them score a try in the middle left. The try was scored by Black Rams FL McCURRAN. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 0-24.

The first half ended with the score unchanged. The Black Rams almost took control of the attack and the Dynaboars did not even look like scoring.

Can the Dynaboars recover from this poor start in the second half?

Let’s get the second half underway.

7 minutes into the second half:

After resetting their bodies at half-time, the Dynaboars players showed some persistence in the densely-packed battle. They entered the enemy territory and began to continue with a series of attacks, and in front of the enemy in-goal, they attacked again and again from the density and finally Dynaboars’ No.8 HEMOPO scored a try right in the middle of the in-goal. A converted goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-24.

13 minutes into the second half:

In the second half, Dynaboars’ attacking time increased dramatically. This was accompanied by a reduction in the number of penalties committed by the Dynaboars and more opportunities to get close to the opposition’s in-goal. The Dynaboars then took advantage of an infringement by their opponents and, from a lineout in front of the in-goal on the left side of the opposition line, formed a maul and went on to score a try. The try was scored by hooker YASUE. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-24.

26 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars attack started to gain momentum here. Whereas the Black Rams had scored in the first half through a tight FW game, the Dynaboars’ attack used the ground more widely and attacked with all hands. This opened up holes in the Black Rams’ defence and allowed the Dynaboars players to flourish.

The Dynaboars players continued to attack in a densely contested enemy position in front of goal, culminating in substitute No.8 CURTIS scoring a try to the left side of the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 21-24, with the Dynaboars finally within three points.

32 minutes into the second half:

With the Black Rams three points behind, they changed their attacking style and, like the Dynaboars, their BKs began to connect the ball and spread it all over the ground.

Only in the second half did Black Rams get close to the opposition in-goal, with the FWs finally charging forward from sign play and No.8 HUGHES scoring a try in the middle on the right. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score, 21-31.

The final score remained the same and the game was over. At the end of the first half, it looked like a convincing win for Black Rams, but the Dynaboars rallied in the second half to make it a match worth watching.

The Black Rams will now finish the season, while the Dynaboars will play two more matches in the replacement round. We look forward to a continuation of the hotly contested matches.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Urayasu D-Rocks VS Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttles Aichi

(Author: Azul, April 20, 2023)

On 9 April 2023, the Japan Rugby League One Division 2 standings began on this date. The league matches, which were played over the last week, will decide the three teams in the top group and the three teams in the bottom group. Thereafter, within each group, a round-robin competition will be played to determine the final standings. Therefore, even if a team finishes first in the Division 2 league matches, it will finish third if it loses the ranking round again.

The top groups in Division 2 are,

Urayasu D-ROCKS: 10 wins-0 losses- 1st place

Honda HEATS: 8 wins, 2 losses – 2nd place

Toyota Shuttles: 6 wins, 4 losses – 3rd place

The three teams are. This time I went to watch the Urayasu D-ROCKS vs Toyota Shuttles match.

The venue was Yumenoshima Athletics Stadium in Koto-ku, Tokyo, a six-minute walk from Shinkiba Station on the JR Keiyo Line, which was easily accessible from the station.

The capacity of the Yumenoshima Athletics Stadium is 5,050 people. The number of visitors on that day was 1,388

Let me now introduce the two teams playing on the day.

First, let me introduce the home team, Urayasu D-ROCKS.

Last season, they were relegated from Division 1 to Division 2 and have been fighting for promotion back to Division 1 this season. D-ROCKS, who have won 10-0 so far without any problems, will be looking to finish first in this round of the play-offs and head into the replacement round.

The starting line-up for D-ROCKS on this day was as follows.

URAYASU D-ROCKS
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kabuto ANOKU	178cm	105kg	29
2	Franco MARAIS	185cm	107kg	30
3	Syuhei Takeuchi	183cm	115kg	25	Japan 2cap
4	Ryong Ji KIM	192cm	107kg	28
5	Lourence ERASUMUS	200cm	123kg	29
6	Jimmy TUPOU	196cm	113kg	30
7	Tetta SHIGEMATSU	178cm	94kg	23
8	Liam GILL	185cm	103kg	23	Australia 15cap
9	Ren IINUMA	170cm	75kg	22
10	Hayden CRIPPS	177cm	80kg	32
11	Kai ISHII	179cm	85kg	29
12	Samisoni TUA	182cm	108kg	27
13	Shane GATES	183cm	95kg	30	Japan 4cap
14	Larry SULUNGA	183cm	102kg	24
15	Takuhei YASUDA	177cm	80kg	26	Japan 2cap

The team members were almost the same as in the last match of the league.

** Player to watch **.

Shane GATES. 183 cm, 95 kg, 30 years old. From South Africa. Position = CTB; Japan caps = 4. Joined Urayasu D-Rocs after Super Rugby’s Kings and Sun Wolves; first selected as a national team candidate in 2019, but suffered a serious injury in a match that same year that took 21 months to fully heal. After a long rehabilitation process, his indomitable fighting spirit saw him selected again for the national team. On this day, GATES earned a total of 50 caps for D-ROCKS (including its predecessor, Shining Arcs). Congratulations to him.

Then, I would like to introduce the Visitor Team of the day, the Toyota Shuttles.

Last season, the team was in Division 3, but after being promoted this season, they quickly moved up in Division 2 and are aiming for promotion to Division 1 next season. It is remarkable that this team has made it this far despite the fact that few of its players have represented their respective countries. We can’t take our eyes off them to see how far they can go.

The starting line-up for the day was as follows.

TOYOTA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION SHUTTLES AICHI
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Hyosuke WATANABE	167cm	104kg	27
2	Akito FUJINAMI	170cm	100kg	27
3	Ryota FUKAMURA	186cm	125kg	29
4	Taishi NAKAMURA	189cm	110kg	27
5	James GASKELL	201cm	118kg	32	England 1cap
6	Tama KAPENE	190cm	112kg	23
7	Shoichi YURA	180cm	99kg	26
8	Talifolofora TANGIPA	186cm	115kg	26
9	Keita FUJIWARA	174cm	83kg	28
10	Akihiro SHIMIZU	175cm	83kg	27
11	Go NAKANO	170cm	85kg	26
12	Josh MATAVESI	188cm	120kg	32	Fiji 24cap
13	Hitoshi MATSUMOTO	180cm	92kg	29
14	Hiroaki SAITO	181cm	90kg	23
15	Tim SWIEL	181cm	88kg	29

** Player to watch **

Josh MATAVESI.(Player standing to the left of the referee in the middle of the photo) 188 cm, 120 kg, 32 years old. Position = SO, WTB, CTB, FB. 24cap for Fiji. played in RWC 2015 and 2019. Despite being a giant of a man weighing 120 kg, he is a utility player who can play any position in BK except SH, and is outstanding when it comes to speed and breaking through.

Let’s get the match underway.

1 minute of the first half:

Shortly after the kick-off to start the game, a ball kicked in by Shuttles is secured by a player from his own team, who inadvertently floats it backwards and was intercepted by D-ROCKS’ FL　TUPOU. As it was, TUPOU slipped behind the Shuttles’ defensive net and passed to FB　YASUDA, who ran straight into the opposition in-goal for the first no-whistle try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-0 to D-ROCKS.

3 minutes into the first half:

The ball from the kick-off after the try was first caught by a D-ROCKS player. From here, the D-Rocks FW players connected, but the Shuttles defence was not tackling well and the D-Rocks players made one off-load pass after another to push forward, and finally a Shuttles player made a tackle, leading to a ruck, from which SH　IINUMA passed to WTB　SULUNGA, who advanced at full stretch, and as he approached the in-goal, he got tangled up with the opposition defence, but rolled a golo punt into the in-goal,and held it himself in the middle right of the in-goal to score a try. It was a series of no-whistle tries, which was rarely seen in professional matches. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-0.

The Shuttles players seemed to be fired up after this series of tries and the game was deadlocked for a while afterwards. However, the D-Rocks continued to attack from start to finish.

29 minutes of the first half:

The D-Rocks FWs dominated the game at set pieces, launching a number of successive attacks and gradually closing in on the opposition’s in-goal. Here, LO ERASMUS dragged one of the opposition defenders behind him and scored a try right in the middle. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 21-0.

When the home team D-Rocks scored a try, the D-Rocks cheerleaders performed a joyous dance, as shown in the photo above.

40 minutes of the first half:

It looked like it was going to end in a one-sided D-Rocks victory, but the Shuttles gained control of the ball and pushed deep into enemy territory when D-Rocks’ FL SHIGEMATSU was temporarily sent off for an infringement. Here, the Shuttles secured the ball from a lineout on their own ball, and the Shuttles developed from the pack and the ball was passed from CTB MATAVESI to WTB SAITO, who scored a try just under the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 21-7.

Also. Towards the end of the first half, D-Rocks prop TAKEUCHI committed an infringement and was temporarily sent off for 10 minutes. This meant that D-Rocks were without two of their frontrunners at the start of the second half, giving the Shuttles a chance to get back into the game. Expectations are high for a second half turnaround.

At this point, it was half-time. The match venue, Koto Athletics Stadium, is a short distance from Haneda Airport, and passenger planes passed overhead several times during the match.

Now it’s time for the second half to begin.

4 minutes into the second half:

With D-ROCKS temporarily down to two retired players, it was time for the SHUTTLES to take advantage of the game. However, despite this handicap, D-ROCKS showed their strength in the local battles. Particularly noticeable was the ability of the D-ROCKS backs players to break through. The individual skills of FB YASUDA were particularly impressive: when the SHUTTLES kicked deep into enemy territory, FB YASUDA was able to get past five or six men and quickly get in front of the goal. The D-ROCKS players are big compared to the SHUTTLES players, so when they accelerated and got the ball, the SHUTTLES defence couldn’t stop them.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score, 28-7.

8 minutes into the second half:

The SHUTTLES got their own scrum just over the enemy 10m line after an infringement by their opponents, and from there the ball went to the left. Left wing WTB NAKANO made a great run down the left line, dodging one of the opposition defenders and scoring a try on the left edge of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 28-12.

D-ROCKS have many larger players compared to SHUTTLES, so they showed their strength in the contact phases of the game and used offload passing to connect the ball. However, there were many penalties throughout the game. In order to win the replacement game, they will need to reduce the number of infringements.

In response, the SHUTTLES tried to break through in the form of quickly deploying the ball before making contact in attack. When this attack was successful and the ball was connected to the WTB, the crowd was captivated by several tricky moves that came into play along the way. It was a very well-designed attack. However, against the D-ROCKS, the defence did not work and allowed several decisive breakthroughs.

26 minutes of the second half:

In the second half, the SHUTTLES’ defenders started to function, preventing the D-ROCKS from making significant gains. With the game now stalemated and the score stuck, D-ROCKS were able to force a foul on their opponents in front of the opposition goal, where they opted to go for a PG. This was scored by SO CRIPPS, making the score 31-12.

This was the final score, and D-ROCKS beat SHUTTLES to take the first round of the play-offs, and will now play HONDA　HEAT for the Division 2 title in the second round on 22 Apr.

And the SHUTTLES were denied by two consecutive no-win tries early in the match, which proved to be the deciding factor. However, if they show defensive tenacity in the second half, they could turn the tables in the replacement round. We are now looking forward to the changeover game.

After the match, the D-ROCKS players who were not in the game today saw us off as we left the stadium.

This is former Japan national team lock Thompson LUKE. Japan national team cap=71.

And,

World famous player Israel FOLAU. He has a cap of 73 for Australia.

I am a big fan of FOLAU and was thrilled to see him up close.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Urayasu D-Rocks VS Mie HONDA　Heats

(Author: Azul, April 2, 2023)

This time, I travelled to Niigata Prefecture to watch the League One Division 2 top-of-the-table match between Urayasu D-Rocks and Mie HONDA HEATS. The venue for the match was Niigata City Athletics Stadium.

The weather was unfortunate on this day, it was raining. The temperature at the start of the match was 8 degrees Celsius, which was quite cold. If it had been three degrees colder, it might have snowed.

The distance from Hachioji City, Tokyo, to Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, was about 330 km. At first, I thought about taking the Shinkansen, but when I calculated the transport costs, the motorway toll for the round trip was about 10,000 yen, and the petrol cost was about 5,000 yen, for a total of about 15,000 yen. In contrast, the round trip using the Shinkansen was 24,000 yen. In my case, I chose the car because I like driving.

As it was already late March, I thought it might not snow, but Niigata Prefecture is indeed a heavy snowfall area, and when I entered Niigata Prefecture through the 10 km long Kan-etsu Tunnel, the mountains were still covered with snow, as you can see in the photo above, and I was surprised at how the landscape had changed completely. The car was fitted with winter tyres, so I thought it would be possible to drive, but I had never experienced traffic jams on snow-covered roads, so I thought I would need to be well equipped when heading north in the future.

I left Hachioji City at 6:30 am, but arrived in Niigata at 11:30 am, which took about five hours.

Now, let’s check the League One Division 2 standings, which have reached their final section.

Division 2
order	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP
1	Urayasu D-Rocks	9	0	0	42
2	Mie Honda HEAT	8	1	0	38
3	Toyota Shuttles AICHI	5	4	0	21
4	Shimizu Koto Blue SHARKS	3	6	0	12
5	Hino Red Dolphins	1	8	0	7
6	Kamaishi Seawaves RFC	1	8	0	4

After the regular season, the teams are divided into the top three teams and the bottom three teams, with each team playing two games to decide the ranking. After the regular season, the top three teams and the bottom three teams play two games each. The top three teams from Division 2 then play a replacement match against the teams ranked 10-12 in Division 1, and the bottom three teams from Division 2 play a replacement match against the top three teams from Division 3. For each player, winning the replacement game means a better contract for the next season, so they will have a different level of enthusiasm for the game.

Let me introduce you to the two teams that will play today.

First, let me introduce the home team, Urayasu D-Rocks.

The D-Rocks, who last season called themselves the NTT Shining ARCS, have reorganised their team with the NTT-Docomo Red Hurricanes, also an NTT-affiliated company, to form a new team. In reality, leading professional players from NTT joined D-Rocks, while non-professional employees moved to the Red Hurricanes. Shinig ARCS was in Division 1 last season, but was relegated to Division 2 after losing to Sagamihara DYNABOARS in the replacement round. However, due to a number of losses caused by the new corona infection, the team had to play in the replacement round.

In the changeover round, the teams aiming for promotion from Division 2 are very determined to win, so the Division 1 teams have to be very determined or they will be kicked out.

Let’s take a look at the D-Rocks’ starting line-up for the day.

URAYASU D-ROCKS
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kabuto ANOKU	178cm	105kg	29
2	Shokei Kin	177cm	95kg	31	Japan 7cap
3	Syuhei Takeuchi	183cm	115kg	25	Japan 2cap
4	Ryong Ji KIM	192cm	107kg	28
5	Lourence ERASUMUS	200cm	123kg	29
6	Jimmy TUPOU	196cm	113kg	30
7	Tetta SHIGEMATSU	178cm	94kg	23
8	Liam GILL	185cm	103kg	23	Australia 15cap
9	Ren IINUMA	170cm	75kg	22
10	Otere BLACK	185cm	86kg	27
11	Kai Ishii	179cm	85kg	29
12	Samisoni TUA	182cm	108kg	27
13	Shane Gates	183cm	95kg	30	Japan 4cap
14	Larry SULUNGA	183cm	102kg	24
15	Takuhei Yasuda	177cm	80kg	26	Japan 2cap

** Player to watch **

Otere BLACK. 185 cm, 86 kg, 27 years old. Position = SO.Born in New Zealand, U20 NZ national team, Maori All Blacks selection. BLACK has played a wealth of games for strong SUPER RUGBY teams and uses his excellent tactical eye to set up the D-Rocks’ game. His style of play is back-to-basics, firstly, he does not make handling or decision- making errors. He also has a high success rate with place-kicks. Injuries are the only thing to watch out for. He also knows how to put on a show as a professional player, making bold passes and kicks when the game is on the line.

Next up is the visiting team of the day, HONDA HEAT.

Last season, they finished second in Division 2 and went on to play in the replacement round. Their opponents in the replacement round were NEC Green Rockets, but with one win and one defeat, they were left in Division 2 on goal difference. This season, the team’s line-up was strengthened by strong reinforcements, including world-class players, with strong support from parent company HONDA. The team will be looking to accumulate more wins in order to achieve their long-cherished dream of promotion to Division 1.

HONDA HEAT’s starting line-up for the day is as follows.

HONDA HEAT
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Tatsuhiko Tsurukawa	182cm	114kg	27
2	Seung Hyok LEE	179cm	110kg	25
3	Taiki YOSHIOKA	183cm	113kg	26
4	Viliami VULI	201cm	120kg	26
5	Franco Mostert	200cm	112kg	32	South Africa 61cap
6	Ryota Kobayashi	182cm	98kg	30
7	Ryo Furuta	183cm	99kg	26
8	Pablo MATERA	190cm	111kg	29	Argentina 90cap
9	Kenta Yamaji	171cm	73kg	33
10	Gwangtee OH	180cm	90kg	26
11	Naoki MOTOMURA	184cm	88kg	30
12	Fraser QUIRK	187cm	99kg	24
13	Clynton KNOX	182cm	98kg	29
14	Yoshikazu FUJITA	185cm	92kg	29	Japan 31cap
15	Tom BANKS	186cm	93kg	28	Australia 21cap

** Players to watch **

Pablo MATERA. 190 cm, 111 kg, 29 years old. Position = FL, No.8. Argentina cap = 90. Most notable foreign player to join League One this season.

World No.1 FL, also named in the World Best 15, with inexhaustible stamina, insatiable fighting spirit and sound judgement backed up by extensive international experience. Rugby Japan will play Argentina at RWC 2023, and he is the player to be most wary of.

So, let the match begin. Kick-off on this day was 12:00.

The stadium was colder on this day than it looked. Also, this Niigata City Athletics Stadium is close to the sea, so the wind was quite strong. The number of spectators who gathered in this bad weather was 1,853.

16 minutes into the first half:

It was HONDA HEAT who scored the first point. The game was played in wet weather and the ball was slippery, so the basic strategy was to invite infringements in opposition territory and then steadily pile on the PGs.

HEAT’s SO OH scored and HEAT made the score 0-3.

27 minutes of the first half:

A fair amount of rain had fallen, so neither team was able to develop significantly. Therefore, contact play by the FWs was the main focus, but in this match, D-Rocks’ FW collection was superior to HEAT’s. When it came to the densely contested battles, the D-Rocks dominated the ball about 70 per cent of the time.

Then, D-Rocks got into enemy territory and won the ball in a series of rucks, and an infringement by their opponents gave them a PG opportunity in front of the goal posts.

Here, D-Rocks’ SO Black scored the PG to level the score at 3-3.

34 minutes of the first half:

A scoreless stalemate continued in the strong rain. The two sides went back and forth in a densely contested battle, but were unable to make any significant gains. A try, typical of a rain game, was scored by D-Rocks.

The D-Rocks team entered the opposition territory and spread the ball down the right flank. Here, D-Rocks’ SO Black rolled in an excellent golopunt down the right flank. The ball rolled down the right sideline, did not go off the line and was braked instead of going off the line, and D-Rocks WTB SULUNGA kicked the ball further into in-goal, where he ran in and held the ball in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and D-Rocks made the score 10-3.

In a low-scoring game in the rain, D-Rocks’ SO BLACK, WTB SULUNGA did a professional job.

The score remained the same in the first half and the game went to half-time.

The cold and strong winds made it a physically demanding game for both players and spectators. Will the second half be as exciting as the match? The players of both teams will have to pay attention to the battle.

Let’s get the second half underway.

2 minutes of the second half:

D-Rocks cleverly connected through a hole in the opposition’s defensive network. From a tight pack on the left side of the opposition line, prop TAKEUCHI grabbed the ball, broke behind the opposition line, connected with WTB ISHI, gained further and finally SH IINUMA, who followed up from behind, scored a try in the left corner of the opposition in-goal.

D-Rocks’ SO BLACK then scored the conversion goal from a difficult position in the left corner.

The score was 17-3, with D-Rocks taking a 14-point lead.

HONDA HEAT’s first try of the second half was more a result of a momentary lapse than a loss of power. With both teams still physically strong, the match became a stalemate from this point onwards.

However, the content of the game was that D-Rocks were mostly in the opposition’s half and HEAT were in front of their own in-goal, and were able to survive the pinch points.

D-Rocks prop TAKEUHI was outstanding in this match. Although he has only a few years of experience as a prop, he is already a member of the Japan national team and shows great potential. He also stood out in this match for his mobility to move forward with the ball. He is still only 25 years old and should develop well for Japan.

24 minutes of the second half:

D-Rocks continued to attack deep beyond the opposition 22m line, and HEAT were fouled for offside under pressure. The position of the infringement was close to the near goal posts, so the D-rocks opted for a PG, which they successfully converted. The score was now 20-3.

29 minutes of the second half:

HEAT were being pushed deep into their own half, but from there they counter-attacked and FB BANKS broke away, SO OH followed up and got behind the opposition’s defensive network. From there, FB BANKS received a return pass and ran straight into the opposition in-goal, scoring a try in the in-goal on the left. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 20-10.

The match ended with the score remaining the same, and D-Rocks were victorious.

In bad weather like this, the Urayasu D-Rocks, with their strong FWs, were able to show what they are capable of. However, HONDA HEAT have a lot of decisive runners in the BK and would like to play in good weather conditions for the deciding match if possible.

The top three teams in Division 2 have now been confirmed. The final ranking will be decided by the Division 2 ranking round, which will be held from 9 Apr. The replacement matches will then take place from 5 May. The pairings for the replacement matches are as follows.

Division 2 1st place vs Division 1 12th place

Division 2 2nd place VS Division 1 11th place

Division 2 3rd place vs Division 1 10th place

So the team that finish higher in the Division 2 standings will be able to play in the replacement round, with a more favourable combination.

League One is reaching the climax of the season.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath VS Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights

(Author: Azul, March 30, 2023)

On 11 March 2023, I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato Ward, Tokyo, to watch the 11th League One match between Suntory Sungoliath and Panasonic WildNights. The match was the same combination as last season’s League One final, so the crowd was extraordinary.

The paid attendance was 19,076, almost a full house.

The day was also blessed with fine weather, warm and spring-like, and people could be seen wearing light clothing. As it was a home game for Sungoliath, the yellow cheering merchandise was noticeable.

Let’s take a look at the standings of the two teams at the start of Section 10 of League One.

2022-23	League One Order(Division 1)	2023.3.11
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	GD
1	Saitama Wildnights	10	0	0	45	210
2	Kubota Spears	8	1	1	38	169
3	Tokyo Sungoliath	8	2	0	37	144
4	Yokohama Eagles	6	2	2	33	153
5	Tokyo Brave Lupas	5	5	0	26	103
6	Black Rams Tokyo	5	6	0	23	41
7	Sagamihara Dynaboars	4	5	1	20	-96
8	Kobe Steelers	4	7	0	19	-88
9	Toyota Verblitz	4	6	0	18	-69
10	Shizuoka Blue Revs	2	6	2	17	-1
11	Green Rockets Tokatsu	2	8	0	9	-205
12	Hanazono Riners	0	10	0	1	-361
	WP=Winning Point
	GD=Goal Difference

There were a few upsets in the Section 10 games.

Eighth-placed Shizuoka Blue Revs drew with fourth-placed Canon Eagles. However, they dropped two places in the standings.

Next, 10th-placed Toyota Verblitz moved up one place as they beat third-placed Suntory Sungoliath.

The teams in fifth to tenth place have a small difference in points, so they move up or down a couple of places depending on the win or loss in that section.

Let’s take a look at the two teams that played on the day.

First, an update on home team Suntory Sungoliath.

Sungoliath were the second-placed team last season and played a competitive game in the final. Naturally, they are favourites to win the championship again this season, but looking at their record this season, they have already suffered two defeats by the end of the tenth round. Some expect them to drop down the table from last season, especially as they lost to tenth-placed Toyota Verblitz in the 10th round. Against the teams at the top of the table, their vaunted attacking prowess does not seem to be translating well enough. Now, I will be interested to see how Sungoliath will fare against leaders WildNights. Today’s starting line-up was as follows.

Suntory Sungoliath
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kenta KOBAYASHI	181cm	112kg	23
2	Shunta NAKAMURA	178cm	100kg	28	Japan　0cap
3	Shinnosuke Kakinaga	180cm	115kg	30	Japan　11cap
4	Tui Hendrik	188cm	110kg	35	Japan　47cap
5	Harry HOCKINGS	206cm	118kg	24
6	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	188cm	105kg	23	Japan　0cap
7	Kai YAMAMOTO	177cm	98kg	22
8	Tevita TATAFU	183m	124kg	26	Japan　14cap
9	Yutaka NAGARE	166cm	75kg	30	Japan　29cap
10	Aaron CRUDEN	175cm	82kg	33	New Zealand  50cap
11	Tevita Li	182cm	95kg	27
12	Ryoto NAKAMURA	181cm	92kg	30	Japan　30cap
13	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	25	Japan　5cap
14	Seiya Ozaki	175cm	85kg	27	Japan　4cap
15	Kotaro MATSUSHIMA	178cm	88kg	29	Japan　46cap

＊＊　 Player to watch　＊＊

Ryoto NAKAMURA. 181 cm, 92 kg, 30 years old. Position = CTB. Japan national cap = 30. a key player in Sungoliath’s team, who builds attacks and plays a key role in the defence. He was a SO in high school and university, so he has a bird’s-eye view of the whole ground. He also has a strong physical strength and is more than capable of dealing with top-class overseas players on a physical level.

Next, I would like to introduce today’s opponents, the Panasonic WildNights.

Panasonic WildNights is the absolute champion, having reached the top of the Japan Rugby Professional League for two consecutive seasons in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, and are undefeated so far this season, aiming for a third consecutive title. The WildNights have a way of going about their business and even when they take an early lead, they always manage to turn it around and win the game in the second half of the match. All eyes will be on which team will be able to stop the WildNights’ winning streak. The starting line-up for the day is as follows:

Panasonic Wild Nights
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Keita Inagaki	186cm	116kg	31	Japan 44cap
2	Atsushi Sakade	180cm	104kg	28	Japan 32cap
3	Shohei HIRANO	178cm	120kg	29
4	Liam MITCHELL	197cm	117kg	27
5	Lood De JAGER	206cm	127kg	30	Soth Africa 65cap
6	Ben Gunter	195cm	120kg	24	Japan 2cap
7	Lachlan Boshier	191cm	104kg	27
8	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	28	Japan 11cap
9	Taiki KOYAMA	171cm	74kg	28	Japan
10	Rikiya Matsuda	181cm	92kg	28	Japan 29cap
11	Ryuji Noguchi	177cm	83kg	27	Japan 14cap
12	Damian De ALLENDE	190cm	105kg	31	Soth Africa 68cap
13	Dylan Riley	187cm	102kg	25	Japan 9cap
14	Tomoki OSADA	179cm	90kg	23
15	Takuya Yamasawa	176cm	84kg	27	Japan 6cap

The reason for WildNights’ absolute strength is their depth of players. The starting line-up is a gorgeous team of players representing the strongest countries, a sort of World Selected Team.

＊＊　Player to watch 　＊＊

Tomoki OSADA. 179 cm, 90 kg, 23 years old. Position = CTB,WTB. captain of Waseda University in the 2021-2022 season. He was selected as a starter for the first time this season for the WildNights, a team with a strong group of players. Has been selected for the national team in each age group and is expected to become the next generation’s national representative. His ability to read the flow of the game and react ahead of time is something that has been cultivated through natural ability and daily hard work.

So, let the match begin.

4 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath were feeling it early in the game. The game started with both sides kicking several kicks towards the opposition. Sungoliath’s WTB OZAKI received the ball on the right side of the field a little way into the enemy territory, and he put up a small punt behind the enemy line, where Sungoliath’s BK players gathered, CTB NAKANO caught the ball and ran into the in-goal and scored the first try in the middle right. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and Sungoliath led the game with the score 7-0.

18 minutes into the first half:

Around the 16th minute, Sungoliath almost scored a try, but video judgement ruled it a no try, and the WildNights regrouped and kicked an in-goal drop-out ball that went to Sungoliath’s WTB OZAKI, who took a short punt and rolled it forward for OZAKI. short punt and rolled it forward. He then caught it himself and tried to score a try in the right corner of the enemy in-goal, but WildNights WTB NOGUCHI stopped him just before the try. A video decision was made and WildNights’ NOGUCHI’s tackle was infringed as he went before Sungoliath’s OZAKI had possession of the ball. A certified try was awarded as it would have been a Sungoliath try without this infringement. Because of the certified try, seven points were added to Sungoliath’s tally, making the score 14-0. The infringement also resulted in WildNights’ NOGUCHI being temporarily sent off for 10 minutes.

30 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath were defensively aware on this occasion, and even when WildNights came close to scoring in front of the in-goal, they were able to win the ball back in a tight battle, making it difficult for them to score.

WildNights were unable to score a try, but they did cross the enemy 22m line, almost in front of the goal posts, and were awarded a PG following an infringement by their opponents. WildNights’ SO MATSUDA made a steady success of this, and the three points were returned. The score was 14-3.

33 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath opted for a PG after an opponent’s high tackle infringement between the 10m and 22m lines in enemy territory, and Sungoliath substitute SO TAMURA made a fine PG from a rather difficult position to make the score 17-3, again taking the lead by 14 points. The score was 17-3.

The first half ended with the score at this level, Sungoliath were pushed deep into their own half by WildNights, but a tenacious defensive display from their FW players ensured that WildNights were not able to score a try.

As you can see from the photos, it was a perfect day to watch the game, with high temperatures. The match also allowed loud cheering, albeit with the condition that masks were worn. The stadium also returned to an atmosphere befitting a hotly contested match.

Now for the start of the second half.

Let’s start the second half.

5 minutes into the second half:

As WildNights, they needed to score first to bring their usual winning pattern into play. At the start, the densely-packed battle was evenly matched between the two teams. However, once the WildNights got into enemy territory, FL BOSHIER and WTB OSADA exchanged passes with each other on the right flank, and after a quick move forward, BOSHIER scored a try in the middle on the right. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and WildNights made the score 17-10.

8 minutes into the second half:

WildNights’ first score of the second half may have been a counter-attack, as Sungoliath quickly fought back. from the kick-off after the try, Sungoliath connected with the ball and No.8 TATAFU got behind the WildNights’ defensive net. Sungoliath were caught just in front of the in-goal, but from the density created here, Sungoliath quickly moved to the right and CTB NAKAMURA connected with WTB OZAKI, with OZAKI scoring a try on the right edge of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and Sungoliath again outscored WildNights with the score 24-10.

13 minutes into the second half:

The WildNights players became more focussed at this time and began to steadily win the ball when they had the chance, and after a foul on the opposition in front of the enemy goal on the left, the WildNights won the ball in their own lineout and quickly moved forward in a maul, with FL.　BOSHIER scored a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 24-17.

14 minutes into the second half:

With both teams now trading points, Sungoliath quickly started a series of attacks, going wide left and right. The WildNights’ CTB RILEY intercepted a Sungoliath pass from the SO to the CTB and ran through to score a try just under the opposition’s goalposts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was finally tied 24-24.

20 minutes into the second half:

The WildNights went on the offensive at this time of the half and Sungoliath, determined to stay on the losing side, made a series of attacks, but Sungoliath’s passes were forcibly deployed and the WildNights were able to steal them on a number of occasions. The WildNights took the ball and SO MATSUDA calmly found space in front of the enemy goal post, rolled in a punt and FB YAMAZAWA ran in to hold up the ball for a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 24-31 to the WildNights.

26 minutes into the second half:

In the second half, Sungoliath were passing the ball even when they were in an impossible position to be intercepted, while WildNights were not releasing dangerous passes, but a numerical advantage was formed as their followers ran to the opposite side. This allowed WildNights’ WTB OSADA to receive a pass and score a try right down the middle. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 24-38 and WildNights finally 14 points ahead.

33 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath came close to scoring several times in the closing stages with a series of attacks on the opposition’s in-goal, but at the crucial moments, they threw difficult passes and cut off their own attacks. Conversely, WildKnights pushed forward from this point and came close to the opposition goal, which Sungoliath tried to stop, but committed an infringement, giving WildNights a PG opportunity in front of the in-goal. SO Matsuda converted it to make the score 24-41.

44 minutes of the second half:

Sungoliath finally had a chance to score towards the end of the game. From a lineout on their own ball in front of the in-goal on the right side of the opposition line, a maul was formed and they pushed forward for a try, but the WildNights rebounded. From here, Sungoliath moved to the left and the ball was finally passed to WTB OZAKI on the left side, who scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed.

Sungoliath got their revenge with a try at the end of the match, but the final score was 29-41, and in the end it was a fair win for the leaders WildNights. However, Sungoliath also showed signs of a resurgence of strong attacking power that had not been seen in recent games. Expect a great match in the play-offs.

With five games remaining in League One for each team, will the WildNights continue their winning streak or will there be a team that can halt their winning streak? We look forward to the future of League One to give the Japanese national team momentum at RWC 2023.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Yokohama　Canon　Eagles VS Shizuoka　Blue Revs

(Author: Azul, March 19, 2023)

The weather is turning spring-like in March, and from Friday 3 March until Friday 21 April, League One will be playing night matches. On this first night match (3 March), I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato Ward, Tokyo, to watch the Yokohama Eagles vs Shizuoka Blue Revs match. Let’s have a look at the League One standings at the start of Section 10.

2022-23	League One Order(Division 1)	2023.3.3
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	GD
1	Saitama Wildnights	9	0	0	40	195
2	Kubota Spears	8	0	1	38	184
3	Tokyo Sungoliath	8	1	0	36	151
4	Yokohama Eagles	6	2	1	31	153
5	Tokyo Brave Lupas	4	5	0	21	64
6	Kobe Steelers	4	5	0	19	-34
7	Sagamihara Dynaboars	3	5	1	16	-105
8	Shizuoka Blue Revs	2	6	1	15	-1
9	Black Rams Tokyo	3	6	0	14	-21
10	Toyota Verblitz	3	6	0	14	-76
11	Green Rockets Tokatsu	2	7	0	9	-158
12	Hanazono Riners	0	9	0	1	-352
	WP=Winning Point
	GD=Goal Difference

The Eagles, who play this day, are currently in fourth place, and the Blue Revs are currently in eighth place.

In the standings, you will notice that Blue Revs, who are in eighth place, have two wins, while Verblitz and Black Rams, who are in ninth and tenth place, have three wins but are higher in the standings. Blue Revs are an extremely tenacious team. They are a team with the ability to make the top teams suffer.

And the fans know it, with a crowd of 5,929 on the day.

Let’s take a look at the latest news from both teams.

First, let’s look at the Yokohama Canon Eagles, who are the home team on this day.

They are currently in fourth place and have secured a play-off place. Last season, they ran out of steam at the end of the season and missed out on the play-offs. This season, they have become more competitive and have played close matches against the top teams. However, there are still six games remaining, so we must not let up until the very end.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Yokohama Eagles
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Takato OKABE	180cm	105kg	28
2	Yusuke Niwai	174cm	95kg	31	Japan 10cap
3	Tatsuro SUGIMOTO	175cm	110kg	26
4	Max DOUGLAS	201cm	112kg	22
5	Cory Hill	196cm	117kg	31	Wales 32cap
6	Sioeli VAKALAHI	178cm	110kg	24
7	Naoto Shimada	181cm	99kg	31	Japan
8	Sione HARASILI	180cm	120kg	23
9	Faf DEKLARK	172cm	88kg	31	South Africa 44cap
10	Yu Tamura	181cm	92kg	34	Japan 70cap
11	Masayoshi TAKEZAWA	176cm	86kg	27
12	Yusuke Kajimura	181cm	95kg	27	Japan 2cap
13	Jesse Kriel	185cm	95kg	29	South Africa 58cap
14	Inoke BURUA	178cm	95kg	23
15	Jumpei OGURA	172cm	80kg	30	Japan 4cap

＊＊　 Player to watch　＊＊

Faf DEKLARK. 172 cm, 88 kg, 31 years old. Position = SH. Caps for South Africa = 44. Commander of the South African national team, which was crowned world champions at RWC 2019. Continues to inspire the team with his combative style of play. He changes his passing path just before he gives the ball away, so opposing teams have to be prepared to defend against DEKLARK or they will get through his defensive net. He is a world-class player with a distinctive presence.

Next up are the visiting team of the day, the Shizuoka Blue Revs.

The Blue Revs are a strong team who were contenders for the top league title from 2014-2019. This season, they have dropped down to the bottom of the table, but have rarely suffered a complete defeat or a heavy defeat. They are always aggressive in their pursuit of victory and are a very worthwhile team for the team’s supporters to support.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Shizuoka Blue Revs
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kazuhiro KWADA	172cm	102kg	26
2	Takeshi HINO	172cm	100kg	32	Japan 5cap
3	Heiichiro ITO	175cm	115kg	32
4	Samuera ANISE	198cm	118kg	38	Japan 12cap
5	Murray DOUGLAS	198cm	115kg	33
6	Malgene ILAUA	187cm	107kg	29	Japan 7cap
7	Richard GOH JONES	177cm	93kg	23
8	Kwagga SMITH	180cm	94kg	29	South Africa 29cap
9	Bryn HALL	183cm	93kg	30
10	Kenta IEMURA	176cm	93kg	22
11	Chikara ITO	173cm	80kg	32	Japan 1cap
12	Viliami TAHITUA	183cm	102kg	31	Tonga 9cap
13	Hiroto KOBAYASHI	173cm	83kg	30
14	Eito MAKI	176cm	88kg	22
15	Keagen FARIA	183cm	85kg	28

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Kwagga SMITH. 180 cm, 94 kg, 29 years old. Position = FL, No. 8; South Africa Cap = 29. Despite being 180 cm tall, he continues to be a regular player in the South African national team’s FW players, who are all big men over 2 m tall. The League One teams know that SMITH is unstoppable one-on-one, so they have a special defensive system for him, but he still manages to break through.

So, let the match begin.

As for the match conditions on this day, the temperature was 9 degrees Celsius and there was almost no wind. The cold, I didn’t feel so much.

3 minutes into the first half:

Blue Revs had a PG opportunity from an opponent’s infringement in front of the enemy goal posts, 20 metres away. Blue Revs’ SH HALL scored this without incident to make the score 0-3.

15 minutes into the first half:

The Eagles advanced their position inside their opponents’ right 22m line on a penalty kick following an infringement by their opponents. Here, the Eagles gradually made progress with a series of attacks, mainly from the flanks, and finally No.8 Harasiri scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the Eagles made the score 7-3.

29 minutes into the first half:

The Eagles had a PG opportunity in front of the enemy goal posts, 5 metres out, and Eagles SO Tamura converted to make the score 10-3.

35 minutes into the first half:

A Blue Revs infringement saw the Eagles advance deep into enemy territory on the right flank. Just beyond the enemy 22m line, from a my ball lineout on the right, a moderate mix of FW rushes and BK deployment saw the Eagles close in on the opposition in-goal. SH DEKLARK then stopped the opposition with a dummy pass and passed to SO TAMURA who looped around and scored a smooth, flowing try to the left centre without any pressure on TAMURA. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score, 15-3.

38 minutes into the first half:

Just as it looked like the first half was going to end, the Blue Revs made a big play to the delight of the entire crowd. Here, NO.8 SMITH, with the ball in his hands, overtook two of the opposition defenders and drove forward, dragging Eagles SH DEKLARK, who came in to tackle him, still further forward. He went on to drag three men into the in-goal to score a try.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the Blue Revs were seven points behind at 15-8 with this score at the end of the first half, and this big play by the Blue Revs’ SMITH, which was replayed on the electric board, made such a strong impression on the crowd that the whole place was in stitches for a few moments. It left a strong impression on the crowd.

The first half ended here, but the game was hotly contested and lived up to the expectations of the spectators who had gathered for this evening’s night-time game. What will the second half bring?

21 minutes into the second half:

For a while in the second half, the game was deadlocked and no goals were being scored. It was only after a change of players in the Eagles’ SH and SO that the game started to get going.

At the same time, the Blue Revs switched to Greene (number 22) at CTB, and the developing attack began to find its rhythm and break through the opposition’s defensive network. GREENE then developed to the left and FB FARIA scored a try in the in-goal in the middle left of the enemy line. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the Blue Revs tied the score at 15-15.

31 minutes of the second half:

The game was leaning towards the Blue Revs at this time of the game. In attack, the Blue Revs started to push the Eagles forward, mainly through CTB GREENE, and in the scrums. Once the Blue Revs were pushed into their own in-goal, they regained the ball in a tight battle and connected with the ball from their own in-goal, and with an effective touch kick by SO IEMURA, they quickly advanced to the 22m line on the left side of the enemy line. Here, the Eagles secured the ball in their own lineout and attempted to connect and advance, but dropped the ball and committed a Not Release the ball infringement in a tight battle there, handing the Eagles the right to attack. From the penalty kick, Blue Revs No.8 Smith took advantage of a momentary lapse by his opponent and surged forward to score a try in the middle left corner. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the Blue Revs finally succeeded in turning the tables. The score was 15-22.

Once again, Kwagga SMITH did the decisive work.

33 minutes into the second half:

Eagles, looking for a win at all costs, went on the offensive from the kick-off after the try, catching the Blue Revs’ kick for a positional recovery and counter-attacking from there. FB MARAIS (substitution), who received the ball, used his individual skills to get past four Blue Revs defenders, where he offloaded and passed to WTB TAKEZAWA, who scored a try in the left corner of the opposition’s in-goal. Eagles kicker OGURA succeeded with a PG from a difficult position in the left corner to level the scores at 22-22.

39 minutes of the second half:

The Eagles came out on the attack in the closing stages of the match, with both the FW and BK going all out in a maul, while the BK, led by FB MALLEY, tore through the opposition’s defensive network. The Eagles kicker was OGURA, who was slightly more comfortable kicking the PG than the previous conversion goal. So far this season, OGURA had enjoyed a 100% success rate in goal. However, the kick was unsuccessful as it deflected to the left of the goal post. Immediately afterwards, the Eagles’ HC SAWAKI’s bitter face appeared on the electronic board, and the stadium cheered.

In the end, the match ended with the score at that level, and was a draw. Note that the Man of the match was Blue Revs’ No.8 Kwagga Smith.

The fans in attendance applauded both teams for a good game. Thanks, players.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars VS NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu

(Author: Azul, March　8, 2023)

On 26 February 2023, Japan Rugby League One reached its ninth round and I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato Ward, Tokyo, to watch the game. (Nearly half of my matches this season have been at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground.)

League One has already played half of its matches this season, and as of 26 February, the standings are as follows.

2022-23	League One Order(Division 1)	2023.2.26
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	GD
1	Kubota Spears	8	0	1	38	184
2	Tokyo Sungoliath	8	1	0	36	151
3	Saitama Wildnights	8	0	0	35	157
4	Yokohama Eagles	6	2	1	31	153
5	Tokyo Brave Lupas	4	5	0	21	64
6	Kobe Steelers	4	4	0	19	4
7	Sagamihara Dynaboars	3	4	1	15	-98
8	Shizuoka Blue Revs	2	6	1	15	-1
9	Black Rams Tokyo	3	6	0	14	-21
10	Toyota Verblitz	3	6	0	14	-76
11	Green Rockets Tokatsu	1	7	0	5	-165
12	Hanazono Riners	0	9	0	1	-352
	WP=Winning Point
	GD=Goal Difference

The four teams in the play-offs for the championship are now almost firmly established, with the Wildnights, Spears, Sungoliath and Eagles in the top four and points clear of the bottom five, with Bravelupas in fifth place still in with a chance of pulling the upset.

Conversely, the three teams at the bottom of the table, Liners (12th) and Green Rockets (11th), are almost certain to play for a place in Division 2. The remaining one team could be any of the teams in 7th to 10th place. It is a tough survival game.

If a team is relegated from Division 1 to Division 2, it will play significantly fewer games and attract fewer spectators, which means lower salaries for individual players and more players having their contracts terminated next season. The replacement competition is a battle for survival as a professional sports player.

And today’s game was a match between two teams who cannot afford to lose to each other in order to win the replacement game.

It’s between the Dynaboars, currently ranked seventh in League One, and the Green Rockets, currently ranked 11th.

Here are the latest updates on both teams.

First, an update on the home team of the day, the Sagamihara Dynaboars.

Last season, they finished third in Division 2 and beat NTT Shining Arcs in the replacement round to gain their long-awaited promotion to Division 1. Before the season started, most predictions were that the team would finish in the bottom half of the table, as they were promoted from third place in Division 2. However, the team has greatly surpassed those expectations, winning three games, losing one and drawing one by the fifth round, winning against last season’s top teams and becoming the eye of the storm in the first half of the season.

Today’s opponents, Green Rockets, were last in Division One last season, failing to win a single game, but survived to reach the round of fixtures and remain in Division One. For the Dynaboars players and fans, this was a game they did not want to lose. I expect a hot game.

Here is today’s starting line-up for the Dynaboars.

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Hayato HOSODA	173cm	103kg	27
2	Yuki MIYAZATO	179cm	103kg	25
3	Tomoaki ISHII	182cm	120kg	27
4	Linde Makoto DANIEL	198cm	105kg	35
5	Walt STEENKAMP	203cm	121kg	27
6	Masataka TSURUYA	186cm	105kg	32
7	Yusuke SAKAMOTO	176cm	95kg	24
8	Jackson HEMOPO	194cm	112kg	29	NZ 5cap
9	Kota Iwamura	182cm	87kg	29
10	James SHILLCOCK	178cm	88kg	25
11	Nozomi NARA	180cm	93kg	26
12	Henry BRACKIN	180cm	95kg	34	Japan 7th
13	Curtis RONA	194cm	102kg	30
14	Jonmun HAN	184cm	93kg	26
15	Alaia’sa Solarorand	177cm	94kg	27

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊

Kota IWAMURA. 182 cm, 87 kg, 29 years old. He is a graduate of Doshisha University and is the captain of the Dynaboars. A large scrum-half, a rarity in Japan, he is a rare player who can break through the scrum side and stop opposing FWs from breaking through on their own, with a physique that is comparable to a FW third row player.

Next, here is the latest information on NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu.

As of 26 Feb, they are in 11th place in League One with 1 win and 7 losses. Their only win came from the bottom-placed Liners. Last season, the team lost all of its games in League One and finished at the bottom of the table, but in the replacement round, they played with HONDA Heat to stay in Division One. The team’s attacking ability is also good in Division One, as is the way they play. The main reasons for the loss are the high level of infringements and the incomplete team defence: the Green Rockets brought in a large number of players from other teams before entering League One, so their team tactics are not yet set in stone. The Green Rockets, however, have been rubbing shoulders with the Dynaboars at the high level of Division One last season and are determined not to lose to a newly promoted team, which is the opposite of the Dynaboars. They are not going to want to lose this match either.

The Green Rockets starting line-up is as follows.

Green Rockets
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Suguru KUBO	178cm	110kg	24
2	Yo SATO	178cm	96kg	29
3	Satoshi UEDA	181cm	112kg	33
4	Daiki Yamagiwa	198cm	103kg	24
5	Luke PORTER	201cm	119kg	25
6	Whetukamokamo Douglas	190cm	110kg	30
7	Ryoi KAMEI	178cm	97kg	28
8	Aseri MASIVOU	180cm	87kg	24	Japan 7th
9	Nick PHIPPS	170cm	75kg	34	Australia 72cap
10	Taisetsu Kanai	178cm	88kg	25
11	Kanta OMATA	171cm	82kg	28
12	Christian RAUI	180cm	105kg	24
13	Maritino Nemani	181cm	101kg	30
14	Yuma SUGIMOTO	178cm	86kg	25
15	Lemeki LOMANO LAVA	178cm	96kg	34	Japan 16cap

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊

Lemeki LOMANO LAVA. 178 cm, 96 kg, 34 years old. Japan national team caps=16. Position=WTB, FB, SO. In a sense, he represents the current Green Rockets. He moved from Honda Heat at the start of League One. The Green Rockets did not have a player who could play the game-making SO at a high level, so Lemeki, who has not enough experience as SO, played a lot of games as the main SO last season. However, he has gradually adapted and has done so, reaffirming Lemeki’s extraordinary talent.

So, let the match begin.

5 minutes into the first half:

Dynaboars kicked off and the game got underway, with Dynaboars looking for an opportunity to score in opposition territory. From there, the Dynaboars expanded to the right and SO Shilcock easily slipped through to score a try just under the opposition goal posts. A successful conversion goal after the try also put the Dynaboars ahead. The score was 7-0.

25 minutes into the first half:

Green Rockets kicked the ball deep into enemy territory, where the Dynaboars attempted to maul their way forward from their own lineout, but the ball was held up by Green Rockets and a maul unplayable infringement was committed, resulting in a scrum. The Green Rockets then moved the ball left and CTB RAUI broke through the opposition defence to score a try at the left end of the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was tied 7-7.

29 minutes of the first half:

The Dynaboars secured the ball kicked into their own right flank, and when it was deployed from there, the Green Rockets were fouled for Not role away. From that position, SO SHILLCOCK kicked a PK to the enemy’s right near the 22m line, where the Dynaboars attempted a series of attacks from their own ball lineout, which the Green Rockets defence held firm and stopped well, but when the ball was deployed to the left, the Dynaboars SO SHILLCOCK cut in cleverly and scored a try in the left centre. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 14-7, Dynaboars again taking the lead.

First 34 minutes into the first half:

The Green Rockets launched a series of attacks in enemy territory. The Green Rockets attacked strongly and gradually moved forward in enemy territory, gradually closing in on the opposition in-goal. Green Rockets’ No.8 MASIVOU dragged three opposition day defenders to the edge of the in-goal, which was barely stopped by the Dynaboars’ defenders. However, Green Rockets SH PHIPPS supplied a quick pass from here and SO KANAI scored a try to the right side of the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was again level at 14-14.

The first half ended with the score unchanged.

The Dynaboars scored two tries through SO Shilcock’s clever exploitation of the opposition defence after breaking down the opposition formation with an all-out attack, while the Green Rockets showed their ability to break through with their No.8 and CTB to score tries by sheer force. It was an evenly contested game, with both sides showing their strengths.

Now for the start of the second half.

9 minutes into the second half:

Greeen Rockets lost a lineout of their own ball near the 22m line on the right side of enemy territory to the Dynaboars. However, in a dense battle immediately afterwards, the Green Rockets won the ball back and launched a series of attacks. After a series of densely packed battles near the goal posts, Green Rockets’ SO KANAI saw the opposition formation and released a long pass to WTB OMATA who was waiting on the left flank. OMATA caught it and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 14-21, with the Green Rockets taking the lead for the first time in the match.

17 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars scored from a lineout deep in the enemy territory on their right flank, and after a maul, they surged forward and hooker MIYAZATO scored a try in the middle on the right. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was tied 21-21.

23 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars were looking for a try rather than a PG after an infringement in opposition territory, and SO Silcock kicked deep down the right flank to give them a lineout on their own ball, which they mauled for a try. Once the Green Rockets broke up the maul, they were penalised and the Dynaboars again went for a maul try, with hooker MIYAZATO scoring his second try of the day. The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 26-21, with the Dynaboars back in front.

34 minutes into the second half:

After FB Roland was temporarily sent off for a foul by the Dynaboars in the 27th minute of the second half, the Green Rockets went on the attack in quick succession, trying to score a try, but the Dynaboars managed to hold on. However, the Green Rockets then won a lineout on the left side of the opposition line, and from there, the Green Rockets formed a maul and surged forward, scoring a try by hooker SATO in the middle on the left.

Hooker SATO scored a try. The conversion goal after the try failed.

40 minutes of the second half

The teams were locked in a tight contest with only a few minutes remaining. The Green Rockets dominated the ball and continued to attack in succession, using all the ground left and right, until the Green Rockets broke from the right corner and the ball was passed to FB REMEKI, who rolled in a golo punt from deep enemy territory. This was caught by Green Rockets WTB OMATA, who scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The horn went before the conversion goal after the try, so the game ended as soon as the conversion goal after the try was scored. The final score was 26-33.

The win gave Green Rockets their second win since the opening day of the season. In contrast, the Dynaboars suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, but as they won by seven points or less, they picked up one winning point. Both teams will now have a tough battle to stay in the first division, which will continue until the final day of the season.

Paid attendance on the day was 3,217. Thanks for the hotly contested match. Thanks to both teams.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY vs Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars

(Author: Azul, February 26, 2023)

18 February 2023. This time I went to the Edogawa Athletics Stadium in Edogawa, Tokyo, to watch the League One Section 8 match, Kubota Spears vs Sagamihara Dynaboars.

The stadium is a 15-minute walk from Nishi-Kasai Station on the Tozai Subway Line.

Volunteers from the home team, the Spears, stand at each point to give directions from the station. Thank you.

The match was a 14:30 kick-off. I misread the train time and arrived at the stadium just before the game started.

Pictured above is the Spears mascot, Suppy. The attendance that day was 3,534.

In my case, many of the games I have watched at Edogawa Athletics Stadium in the past have been rained out, but on this day, the weather was almost clear and the temperature was 16°C, making it a perfect day to watch the game.

On this day, I was watching the game from

I was in the grass seats behind the goal. The main and back stands are more comfortable, but I mostly sit behind the goal because it is difficult to take photos.

First, let’s check the League One standings in Section 8. Spears, who we play today, are in second place and Dynaboars are in seventh.

2022-23	League One Order	2023.2.18
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	GD
1	Saitama Wildnights	8	0	0	35	157
2	Tokyo Sungoliath	7	1	0	32	143
3	Kubota Spears	6	0	1	28	127
4	Yokohama Eagles	5	2	1	26	121
5	Tokyo Brave Lupas	4	4	0	21	83
6	Kobe Steelers	3	4	0	15	1
7	Sagamihara Dynaboars	3	3	1	15	-60
8	Toyota Verblitz	3	5	0	14	-44
9	Shizuoka Blue Revs	2	4	1	14	10
10	Black Rams Tokyo	2	6	0	9	-75
11	Green Rockets Tokatsu	1	7	0	5	-165
12	Hanazono Riners	0	8	0	1	-298
	WP=Winning Point
	GD=Goal Difference

Let’s take a look at the latest news on both teams playing today.

First up are home team KUBOTA SPEARS.

This season, they have shown more consistent strength than last season and are definitely favourites to win the championship. Their rival is last year’s champions, Saitama Wildknights. They finished third at the end of last season when hooker Malkolm MARX, a mainstay of the team, left the team due to injury, but this season they have a line-up that can challenge for the championship. The big game for the championship will be against WildNights on 4 March, but until then, neither side wants to lose a single game. And at their home ground, Edogawa Athletics Stadium, they currently boast an unbeaten eight-match winning streak. All eyes will be on how far they can extend this record.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

KUBOTA
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kota KAISHI	172cm	102kg	28	Japan　1cap
2	Malkolm Marx	189cm	117kg	28	South Africa　57cap
3	Kengo KITAGAWA	178cm	110kg	30	Japan　3cap
4	Yuki AOKI	188cm	105kg	30
5	David BULBRING	199cm	113kg	33
6	Peter Labuschagne	189cm	106kg	33	Japan　14cap
7	Takeo SUENAGA	178cm	98kg	28
8	Faulua Makisi	187cm	112kg	25	Japan　5cap
9	Kazuhiro TANIGUCHI	164cm	73kg	27
10	Bernard Foley	182cm	89kg	33	Australia　75cap
11	Haruto KIDA	176cm	90kg	23
12	Rikus PRETORIAS	193cm	104kg	23
13	Haratoa VAILEA	187cm	105kg	23
14	Koga Nezuka	173cm	82kg	24	Japan　1cap
15	Gerhard Van Den Heever	192cm	102kg	33	Japan　5cap

＊＊ Player to watch　＊＊

Haruto KIDA. 176 cm, 90 kg, 23 years old. Position=WTB. He is a graduate of Ritsumeikan University. He has represented Japan at various age levels, including Japan High School, Japan U20 and Junior Japan, and boasts a brilliant record. As befits his achievements, he is a regular member of the highly-regarded SPEARS squad this season, and is currently second or third in the League One try-scoring rankings. In games, he has the nous to score tries and the decisiveness to score them at the end. Depending on how well he performs this season, it would not be a surprise if he is called up for the national team.

And now, let me introduce today’s visiting team, Sagamihara Dynaboars.

Despite having just been promoted from Division 2 this season, the team has been the eye of the storm in the early stages of the season, racking up wins against last year’s top teams from the start of the season. However, towards the middle of the season, they have suffered back-to-back defeats against higher-ranked teams due to injuries to key players leaving the team, but I hope they can show a return to form here in order to stay in Division 1.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Hayato HOSODA	173cm	103kg	27
2	Yuki MIYAZATO	179cm	103kg	25
3	Tomoaki ISHII	182cm	120kg	27
4	Naoya NAKAGAWA	191cm	109kg	25
5	Epineri URUIVITI	196cm	122kg	25
6	Sam Chongkit	198cm	108kg	27	Japan 7th
7	Masataka TSURUYA	186cm	105kg	32
8	Dylan NEL	187cm	111kg	30
9	Kota Iwamura	182cm	87kg	29
10	Matt TOOMUA	182cm	90kg	32	Australia 59cap
11	Honeti TAUMOHAPPAI	180cm	94kg	30
12	Nozomi NARA	180cm	93kg	26
13	Alaia’sa Solarorand	177cm	94kg	27
14	Jonmun HAN	185cm	90kg	26
15	James SHILLCOCK	178cm	88kg	25

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊

Matt TOOMUA. 182 cm, 90 kg, 32 years old. Australian national team 59 cap. position = SO, CTB. the biggest highlight of the Dynaboars’ reinforcements this season. played in the RWC 2015 and 2019.

Possesses the qualities required of an SO at a high level – passing, kicking and running. Last season, the Dynaboars suffered from the departure of their main SO due to injury, so we hope that TOOMUA will be able to play as a mainstay without injury.

Let’s kick off the first half.

SPEARS scored the first PG in the third minute of the first half. The kicker was Australia’s SO FOLEY, followed by another Australian international, SO TOOMUA of the Dynaboars, who equalised with a PG in the sixth minute of the first half.

15 minutes into the first half:

The Spears attacked into enemy territory and an infringement by their opponents led to a lineout in front of the in-goal in the deep right corner, where the Spears mauled their way forward and then went left. The Spears backs then sent a man advantage to the left corner, where FB Van den Heever passed to left WTB KIDA, who took it easy and scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal. Eighth try in total. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and Spears made the score 13-3.

33 minutes into the first half:

Dynaboars attacked deep into enemy territory on the left flank, with FB SHILLCOCK showing some impressive individual skills. From here, the Dynaboars, after several side attacks by their FWs, deployed on the right and SO TOOMUA fired a kick-pass down the left flank. Dynaboars flanker CHONGKIT won a race against the opposition defence and made a brilliant catch just in front of the in-goal, where Dynaboars’ CHONGKIT fell down but passed to CTB NARA who came running in and NARA scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 13-8.

The first half ended with this score. It had been a close game so far, with plenty of highlights for both sides. Now, can the Dynaboars halt Spears’ winning streak at the Edogawa Athletics Stadium?

At half-time, Spears threw merchandise signed by the players into the stands as part of their fan service.

The second half started.

1 minute of the second half:

Spears showed a line attack and WTB NEZUKA made a sharp breakthrough, which was stopped by Dynaboars WTB TAUMOHAPPAI in a strong tackle. However, the tackle was ruled a dangerous no-bind tackle and TAUMOHAPPAI was temporarily sent off for 10 minutes.

However, this sending off backfired for the Dynaboars. They were then to concede four tries in just ten minutes.

Spears’ try in the second minute of the first half from a maul attack was a try that Spears powered over, but

4 minutes into the second half:

The big 193 cm CTB PRETORIAS, who replaced Spears’ CTB TATEKAWA who was absent for the match, made a powerful line break and a big gain and finally FB Van den Heever scored a try right in the middle.

The fan in the photo above is holding up the initial G for Gerhard Van Den Heever. Probably.

7 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars were trying to recover their position with a kick when they were attacked in their own half, once they got the ball back in a tight battle. However, Spears WTB NEZUKA caught the ball and counter-attacked, getting behind the opposition defence and the Spears FW followed up one by one and connected with the opposition in-goal, with Spears SH TANIGUCHI scoring try in the right midfield finally.

10 minutes into the second half:

Spears enter enemy territory and develop on the right flank, where once again Spears CTB PRETORIAS breaks through the opposition defence for a big gain, and the Dynaboars gather in numbers in this tight formation to stop the try. Spears’ SO Foley saw this and kick-passed to the opposite side. Spears’ left WTB KIDA, who was waiting in this position, then dodged one of the opposition defenders and scored a try in the middle left of the in-goal field.

For the Dynaboars, the 10 minutes of the second half when a man was sent off turned out to be a nightmare.

At the start of the second half it was 13-8, but

Just ten minutes later, the score was 41-8, with Spears scoring four tries and four goals in the process, deciding the game for good.

15 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars finally got their man back and were looking to show some determination by getting back on the scoresheet. After a long period of inactivity, they had a scrum deep in enemy territory and were pushed over by Spears, which led to a Spears infringement, where SH IWAMURA quickly cut deep into enemy territory to the right and connected with CTB NARA, who scored his second try of the day in the middle right of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also a success.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 41-15.

23 minutes of the second half:

Once Spears had gained momentum, they were hard to stop.　MAKISI received the pass and scored a try in the middle on the left. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 46-15.

25 minutes of the second half:

From the kick-off after the try, the Dynaboars had a scrum in opposition territory. Dynaboars lock URUIVITI successfully charged down an attempted kick by Spears replacement SH FUJIWARA and URUIVITI picked up the spilled ball to score a try just under the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 46-22.

29 minutes of the second half:

Spears pushed forward into the opposition’s in-goal and came close to scoring a try through sheer force, mainly from their FWs, with the Dynaboars showing determination and defending three times before Spears midfield prop HELU twisted his body into the middle right of the in-goal to score the try finally. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 53-22.

37 minutes into the second half:

Spears had a lineout on their own ball on the right near the enemy 22m line. Yamamoto scored his first try in League One. However, Yamamoto’s running form was both well-rounded and fast. We can’t wait to see what he can do in the future. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 60-22.

Although the Dynaboars suffered a heavy defeat in terms of score in this match, they did not give up the fight and their determination to score points right to the end gave us hope for the next round of matches.

Spears have now won nine consecutive games at their home ground, Edogawa Athletics Stadium, since joining League One. The home fans will be eager to see how far they can take this record.

＊＊　Jersey collection 73　＊＊

KUBOTA SPEARS staff jersey, manufactured by Cotton Traders. Got it on Yahoo Auctions for ¥ 3,980. I am proud of the embroidery of the number 28 on the left arm. I guessed it was for support staff as the players are up to number 23.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Tokyo Thank you Phoenix vs Nihon Taiiku University

(Author: Azul, February 19, 2023)

This week on Febrauary 5, 2023, I went to the Odawara City Shiroyama Athletics Stadium in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, to watch the Women’s Rugby Japan Championship Final. Odawara City is a famous tourist destination and has an image of being far away, but from my home (Hachioji City), it takes about the same amount of time to get there as it does to get to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground. The distance is about 65 km, and the journey takes 90 minutes by train.

The day was blessed with fine weather, making it a perfect day for sightseeing and watching the match. Since I had come all the way to Odawara, I visited Odawara Castle, the main sightseeing spot here.

Odawara Castle is about a 10-minute walk from Odawara Station, and you can reach the entrance.

As you exit Odawara Station, Odawara Castle can be seen on the right. From here, follow the signs and you will see the moat of the castle.

You can then enter the entrance and enter the castle. It has been about 10 years since I visited Odawara Castle. Compared to when I was here before, it was much cleaner and better maintained.

During the Warring States period, the castle was said to be impregnable, and indeed there are a number of gates from the outer moat to the keep.

During the Warring States period, enemy troops had to break through these thick gates, which was quite hard work. I was sweating just walking onwards.

The castle is quite large, so a guide map is provided along the way. Odawara Castle in its present form was built in 1633 by the Hojo clan, who were warring feudal lords. It was once demolished in the early Meiji period (late 18th century), but the castle’s main citadel and other parts were later restored.

The photo above shows the second circle of Odawara Castle and Sumiyoshi Bridge. As the situation with the new corona infection is now on the wane, people have returned to the tourist attractions in Japan.

The photo above shows the copper gate of Odawara Castle. It is still a long way to the castle tower. Well, it’s a long way, and if it were summer, you’d be drenched in sweat.

In Ninomaru, there was also this sightseeing facility. This is the Ninja Museum. Historical materials about the Fuuma Ninja Army, a group of ninja who served the Hojo clan, were on display. I didn’t have enough time to see inside the museum, but next time I come to Odawara, I would like to visit.

And finally, the castle tower. From the entrance to here, it took 30 minutes. Now it’s time to head to the match venue.

The kick-off time for the match on 5 February was 13:00.

The match venue, Shiroyama Athletics Stadium, is located on the other side of Odawara Station. And when you get to the other side of the station.

Oops, there was a bronze statue of Soun Hojo, a famous war lord, here. To the citizens of Odawara, Soun Hojo is a hero. With this statue by my side, I headed towards the stadium. Then, about 15 minutes’ walk from here, the Shiroyama Athletics Stadium, the venue for the match, came into view.

The stadium here has a capacity of 15,000, according to the data. The capacity of the main stand is thought to be approximately 1,500. The number of spectators on the day was approximately 700.

The National Women’s Rugby Football Championship was previously known as the National Women’s Rugby Football Exchange Tournament, rather than the Japanese Championship, due to the small number of women playing rugby. With the increase in the number of players, the name was changed to the current name in 2014. The winning and runner-up teams from the Kanto tournament and the winning and runner-up teams from the Kansai tournament (including Kyushu) are eligible to participate.

The results of the semi-finals are as follows. The venue was the Suzuka Football and Rugby Stadium in Mie Prefecture.

1/22 Game 1: Kyushu Nagato Joint Team vs Japan University of Physical Education Club Women.

(Nihon Taiiku University Rugby Club Women won 0-33 to advance to the final.)

1/22 2nd match: PEARLS vs Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix Rugby Club

(The Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix Rugby Club won 19-34 to advance to the final.)

Let’s introduce the two teams that will play on this day.

First up are Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix.

The Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix is a club team based in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, founded in 2002. At the time of its foundation, the team was formed mainly by OGs of Nihon Taiiku University, which we will be playing today. This is the first time the team will try to win the Japanese championship as a stand-alone team.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Megumi　TAKAGI	159cm	88kg	29
2	Natsuki KASHIWAGI	158cm	75kg	24
3	Ayumi KOKAJI	158cm	75kg	22
4	Jade CORTIS	178cm	78kg	24
5	Yuna SATO	169cm	75kg	24	Japan
6	Michi KURAMOCHI	155cm	58kg	24
7	Nana NAGATOSHI	159cm	64kg	21
8	Misaki SUZUKI	163m	63kg	30	Japan 31cap
9	Yumeno NODA	164cm	61kg	25
10	Aoi KUROKAWA	164cm	67kg	25
11	Minami SHIKAO	159cm	58kg	25
12	Mana FURUTA	167cm	68kg	25	Japan 18cap
13	Suzuha OKAMOTO	155cm	60kg	20
14	Triver NIA	167cm	68kg	24
15	Yume OHKURODA	157cm	62kg	28	Japan 7th

** Player to watch **

Misaki SUZUKI. 163 cm, 63 kg, 30 years old. Position = FL, No. 8, Japan national team cap 31. A leader in women’s rugby with a pioneering spirit, she was selected for Japan’s national team in 2010 and has been a long-time one of the leader of the national women’s team. She was also the captain of the team in the final on that day.

Next, I would like to introduce the Nihon Taiiku University(=NTU) Women’s Rugby Club.

The club was founded in 1988. Initially, the club had only two members and practised alongside the men’s rugby team. In 1999, the club was finally promoted to an official rugby club. In 2002, Phenix, the team we play today, was born as an OG team. Today’s match is, so to speak, a showdown between the same team from Nihon Taiiku University(=NTU). Since the Japan Women’s Rugby Championship was established to decide the best women’s rugby team in Japan, NTU’s women’s rugby team has won the championship five times.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Nippon Sport Science University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Nanako USHIJIMA	164cm	77kg	20
2	Mei ZIZOUDOU	164cm	75kg	21	Japan
3	Hinata KOMAKI	166cm	78kg	21
4	Sumika ABE	168cm	73kg	22
5	Mio NISHIMURA	168cm	83kg	20	Japan
6	Soyoka KINOSHITA	160cm	67kg	22
7	Sakurako KOURAI	167cm	70kg	19	Japan
8	Yuua HORIKAWA	168cm	73kg	22
9	Sara  TAKAHASHI	153cm	57kg	21
10	Yurina SHINNO	178cm	88kg	25
11	Honoka TSUTSUMI	153cm	57kg	25
12	Miho HITORA	163cm	66kg	22
13	Rinka MATSUDA	170cm	78kg	21	Japan　9cap
14	Akari HIGASHI	170cm	78kg	21
15	Natsuki OHUCHIDA	163cm	62kg	20

** Player to watch **.

Nanako USHIJIMA. 164 cm, 77 kg, 20 years old. Position = prop. A graduate of Kanto Gakuin Rokuura High School. A candidate for the Japan national team. Started playing rugby in the first year of primary school, and her rugby sense shines through, backed up by her experience. She is also a very good runner and has played well in 7-man competitions. Her current position is prop, but she is also expected to play an active role in the FW third row.

So, let the game begin.

Let’s get the game underway.

Phoenix actively supplied the ball to the backs and launched open attacks. In contrast, NTU attacked with SO SHINNO’s kicks as the starting point.

On the physical side, Phoenix were slightly better at set pieces. In the first half, Phoenix attacked almost exclusively in the opponents’ territory, creating numerous scoring chances. However, they just couldn’t get past the NTU defence in front of the in-goal.

27 minutes into the first half:

NTU won the ball and each BK player advanced their position with a kick. When NTU kicked the ball into their own half, Phoenix FB OHKURODA tried to kick it back, but NTU CTB MATSUDA charged and the ball rolled deep into enemy territory. Phoenix managed to secure the ball and when SO KUROKAWA tried to kick it back, NTU CTB MATSUDA charged again, MATSUDA caught the ball and ran into the enemy in-goal to score a try. NTU SO SHINNO scored the conversion goal after the try to make the score 0-7.

35 minutes into the first half:

NTU’s tactic of gradually advancing from their own line with kicks saw them move deep into enemy territory. From here, NTU developed from a tight pack on the left edge and CTB HITORA kicked a pass which WTB HIGASHI caught well to score a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right. The conversion goal after the try failed, leaving the score 0-12.

43 minutes into the first half:

Phenix SO KUROKAWA kicked out of their own half, which went out beyond the enemy 22m line, so the 50-22 rule was applied and Phoenix had their own lineout just beyond the enemy 22m line. From this point, Phoenix made numerous attempts to advance, mainly through the FWs, in an attempt to score, but they were unable to cross the goal line. However, in the closing minutes of the first half, in a tight battle in front of the enemy in-goal, hooker KASHIWAGI dived into the middle left of the in-goal to score a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-12.

At the end of the first half, Phoenix had a slight physical advantage over NTU and had the upper hand in the set-piece, keeping the game in opposition territory for most of the first half, but were unable to break through their opponents’ defence and score. In contrast, NTU made the most of the few chances they had to get behind their opponents with kicks, which effectively led to scores. However, depending on their tactics in the second half, the game could go either way.

So let’s get the second half underway.

2 minutes into the second half:

The second half began with the Phoenix kick-off. In the first half, NTU boasted an iron-clad day defence, but early in the second half, the defensive net broke down in places and was breached three times, allowing Phoenix to come close to scoring in-goal. Phoenix, from a cluster formed in front of the goalposts, developed to the left and the ball was passed from the SO to the left WTB, with left WTB SHIKAO scoring a try in the left corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was tied 12-12.

9 minutes into the second half:

From the kick-off after the try, NTU moved forward, mainly through their FW players, to close in on the enemy in-goal, forming a cluster at the left corner of the enemy goal posts, where prop KOMAKI attacked the side of the cluster and scored a try in the middle left of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-19. NTU took the lead again.

16 minutes into the second half:

From deep in their own half, the Phoenix team moved to the right and the ball was passed to right WTB NIA, who raced through at high speed to get in front of the enemy in-goal. NTU managed to hold off Phoenix’s NIA in front of their own in-goal, but in the tight pack in this position, they committed an infringement. From there, Phoenix hooker KASHIWAGI rushed forward and scored a try on the right side of the goal post. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 17-19. Phoenix were again two points behind.

27 minutes of the second half:

With 12 minutes remaining in the game, Phoenix were attacked by NTU at this time and were unable to push back. In response, NTU showed effective attacking moves, such as BK development and kicks to the back of the opposition’s defence. From a corner in their own half, Phoenix passed the ball from the SH to the SO, who attempted to kick the ball, and NTU FB OHUCHIDA successfully charged in. OHUCHIDA picked up the ball herself and scored a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 17-24.

30 minutes of the second half:

From the kick-off after the try, both teams kicked deep with each other. Phoenix counter-attacked through the middle of the opposition defence with left wing WTB MASUDA, who took over as a substitute. Phoenix went close to the post at once, but NTU held them off. However, Phoenix was able to move to the left through the crowd and the ball was passed from the SO to CTB OKAMOTO, who scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed, but Phoenix were again within two points with the score 22-24.

39 minutes into the second half:

NTU showed a tactic of consuming the remaining time by taking their time and attacking slowly, mainly through the FWs in enemy territory. However, a painful knock-on in a maul resulted in the ball going to Phoenix. From here, Phoenix almost made their final attack, moving the determined right WTB NIA to the left flank. Could Phoenix turn the ball free to NIA?

Phoenix quickly deployed from a deep position of their own in-goal, and with space created, the ball was passed to WTB NIA. From here, NIA lived up to expectations, cutting through the swerve and weaving through NTU defence to the 10m line on the left side of the opposition line.

With less than a minute left on the clock, NTU also had to use their last gasp of power to hold off NIA’s advance. From here, the Phoenix moved to the right edge of the field, looking to score a try, but NTU showed their mettle and stopped Phoenix advance just short of the 22m line on the right edge of the field.

From this cluster, the Phoenix deployed further left, laying a deep line to allow WTB NIA to pass free, and when she crossed to NIA on the left edge, there was a big space in front of her. Two NSU defenders also tried hard to drive NIA out of the ground, but NIA stepped up just in time to score a dramatic reverse final try in the left corner.

A conversion goal after the try was missed, but Phoenix turned the score around with a final try by WTB NIA, 27-24, to become this season’s Japanese champions.

The match was a high profile affair with both sides trading points and a dramatic end to the match. Phoenix became the first solo team to win the Japanese Championship.

＊＊　Jersey collection 72　＊＊

This time, I would like to introduce a football jersey, but as an extra edition. It is a jersey of the Italian professional football team, the mighty Juventus. I bought it new second-hand on Yahoo Auctions for ¥2,500. The red, white and green colours representing the colours of the Italian flag are so beautiful that I couldn’t help but want one. This time, I was able to win the bid without any competition, so I was happy to get it at a lower price.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊