Japan Rugby League One 2022-2023: JRLO Round 14 Preview

THE JRLO ROUND 14 SEES FIXTURES FROM FRIDAY 7th APRIL TO SUNDAY 9th APRIL BEING PLAYED WITH GAMES IN ALL THREE DIVISIONS.

JRLO Round 14  – Division 1

Friday 7th April 2023

All times shown are Japan Time (JT)

TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH v KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS – Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo, 7pm

Match Day 14 opened on Friday night with the 50-cap All Black Aaron Cruden taking on Kobelco Kobe Steelers, who need at least one win from the last three to stay clear of the replacement battle.

Cruden will face off against his former understudy, the youngster Seungsin Lee, who returns for Kobe after having missed the last four matches due to concussion. Lee debuted for Japan in the mid-year series with France, and finished the year with six caps, which included starting in the Brave Blossoms’ gallant 38-31 loss to New Zealand.

A bonus point win for Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath combined with a Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo slip-up could see them secure a top-four finish.

Although 2018 champions Kobe are out of the running for the semi-finals, they are not clear of the bottom three. Despite a fighting performance on Match Day 13, Kobe went down 23-14 to Kubota, being denied a valuable bonus point for finishing within seven.

A nightmare scenario would be needing to beat Yokohama on the final weekend to confirm next year’s place in the top JRLO division.

Saturday 8th April 2023

KUBOTA SPEARS FUNABASHI TOKYO BAY v HANAZONO KINTETSU LINERS – Edogawa Athletic Stadium, Tokyo, 12pm

Hanazono Kintetsu Liners will be in the relegation/promotion playoffs and have conceded 723 points through 13 games at an average of 55.6 per game, this season.

Wallaby flyhalf Quade Cooper is on the mend and last season’s Second Division Player of the Year has been acting as an assistant coach while he continues his rehabilitation from an injured Achilles.

Captain Shohei Nonaka has no doubts about the influence the Wallaby pivot has had off the field, and will have on it when he returns. “When you have him it’s tight, the Bucks’ [backs’] fine running line, where to hit it… He has one-shot moves and attacks that open up space [for others], but he puts the details into the team. Normally, injured people don’t come to practice for rehabilitation, but Quade cuts down on his sleep, comes early in the morning to rehabilitate, and then watches practice. As captain, I’m really grateful.”

For the Kubota side, flyhalf Bernard Foley will hope to steer his second-placed Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay
to a win, knowing that will guarantee their place in the playoffs. He is the leading point-scorer in the league with 156, and he is targeting a third Rugby World Cup appearance after being included in the Wallaby training squad named by Head Coach Eddie Jones.

Spears Coach Frans Ludeke said, “We have improved as a team over the past six weeks, and I think we are heading in the right direction.”

TOYOTA VERBLITZ v MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES SAGAMIHARA DYNABOARS – Gifu Memorial Centre Nagaragawa, Gifu, 2.40pm

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars might be heading for the relegation play-offs while Verblitz will look back at another season that started with great expectations but is finishing in disappointment.

The hosts only sit two places above the Dynaboars, but with just one more win, and Steve Hansen’s men could yet have a relegation battle on their hands.

With mid-table Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo and Shizuoka Blue Revs still to come, a three-win finish, with a final placing
just below the top five, gives Verblitz a realistic target. Ending on top of the mid-table would still give the club something to build on, as more big-name recruits get ready to roll into Aichi after the Rugby World Cup 2023.

SAITAMA PANASONIC WILD KNIGHTS v RICOH BLACK RAMS TOKYO – Kumagaya Sports and Culture Park Rugby Field, Saitama, 5pm

Forty-six not out to borrow a cricket term, but the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights win-run is pretty special and they find ways of winning no matter what.

“There were two times when we were down to 14 players, and it was very difficult, but I think everyone did a good job in terms of communicating 100% [of the] time, getting up [after a tackle] and moving quickly,” Wild Knights skipper
Atsushi Sakate said after the 19-10 win extended his team’s unbeaten run to 46 games. “I am proud that we were able to win from such a place. I think we will become even stronger in the future.”

Ricoh fullback Matt McGahan, is the team’s primary goalkicker racking up 130 points, the second-highest in the league. The former national provincial championship player in New Zealand and Queensland Red – he is growing as a leader and stand-in skipper of a Black Rams side that has a chance of finishing in sixth in the JRLO.

Ricoh has fallen to three consecutive narrow defeats but coach Peter Hewat put a positive spin on those results, in terms of their impact on what is still a relatively young team; “We are close to the opportunity to challenge the top four teams in terms of [the] squad and [the] mentality [among the players] that we are making. We are just one step away from winning [against the top teams], but it may still be a difference in individual level. Experiencing such a close match is tough, but I think it will lead to the most growth.”

SHIZUOKA BLUE REVS v TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO – Ecopa Stadium, Shizuoka, 6pm

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo edge closer to back-to-back semi-finals and coach Todd Blackadder will be hoping for a more comfortable ride as Brave Lupus visit an opponent, they beat by 13 points earlier in the season.

The Blue Revs have won their last two though and are now aiming to disturb the order further up the table. “We needed the wins, but they have given us confidence,” Blue Revs halfback Bryn Hall said. “The challenge of playing the top teams is great. It gives us the chance to see how far we have come!”

The Blue Revs currently occupy seventh and will need to beat at least one of Toshiba, Panasonic, or Toyota in the final three weeks, to make sure they stay clear of the relegation battle.

Sunday 9th April 2023

NEC GREEN ROCKETS v YOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES – Kashiwanoha Park Stadium, Chiba, 2.30pm

Yokohama Canon Eagles can expect a tough encounter against the NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu outfit which
had a good contest against Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath last time.

Although bound for the relegation battle, Green Rockets will want positive performances in the last three
matches – with Kubota and Kintetsu to follow.

The Eagles will want to maintain their position in fourth and coach Keisuke Sawake said “To secure a spot in the playoffs, we must play consistently. There were some good parts, but there are still many areas for improvement.”

With nothing to lose and an opponent who must win, the Green Rockets are more than capable of making life uncomfortable.

JRLO Round 14 – Division 2

Division Two starts finalising its seeding for next month’s promotion and relegation fixtures, with the victor winning the right to play the bottom team from Division One, while the second plays the 11th finisher, and the third draws 10th.

Unbeaten Urayasu D-Rocks has home advantage, taking on third-placed Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi. D-Rocks easily won the two previous encounters, scoring 114 points while conceding just 28, but Johan Ackerman will be reminding his players that those results count for nothing in what is a new competition.

Sunday April 9 2023

• URAYASU D-ROCKS v TOYOTA INDUSTRIES SHUTTLES AICHI at Tokyo

JRLO Round 14 – Division 3

NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes will seal automatic promotion if they win in Hiroshima against Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions, as they will have an unassailable lead over second-placed Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex, whom they play next weekend.

Red Regulions will hope to delay the coronation by causing an upset that could allow them to climb above their
cross-town rivals, Mazda Skyactivs, on the standings.

Skyactivs travel to Kanagawa where they play  Water Gush who were 38-5 losers when they last met in February.

Saturday April 8 2023

• CHUGOKU ELECTRIC POWER RED REGULIONS v NTT DOCOMO RED HURRICANES at Hiroshima

Sunday April 9 2023

• KURITA WATER GUSH AKISHIMA v MAZDA SKYACTIVS HIROSHIMA at Kanagawa

For brief highlights from all matches, see the JRLO highlights here.

Japanese Rugby News 2022-2023

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