JRLO Semi-Finals 2023 Previews

The JRLO Division 1 semi-finals take place over the weekend of May 13-14 2023 with top seeds Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights taking on Yokohama Canon Eagles, while Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay play Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.

JRLO Division 1 Semi-finals 2023

All times shown are Japan Time

Image Credit: JRLO

Saturday, May 13

SAITAMA PANASONIC WILD KNIGHTS (1) v YOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES (4) – Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo, 2.35pm

Springbok halfback Faf de Klerk will hope to take the Yokohama Canon Eagles to new heights even though he has already been instrumental in getting them to the semifinals of the second edition of Japan Rugby League One.

The defending champion Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights are a huge obstacle and Canon know that even though the Wild Knights were stopped three short of 50 consecutive unbeaten games by Shizuoka Blue Revs five weeks ago, the 47 undefeated match-run included SIX wins against the Eagles; the most Panasonic achieved against any opponent during their remarkable four-and-a-half-year run.

Eagles coach Keisuke Sawake knows his team need to be in this for 80 minutes “A while ago, the team might have been satisfied with the performance [to run the Wild Knights close], but not now.”

The Canon Eagles have also got the rejuvenated veteran Brave Blossoms flyhalf Yu Tamura to inspire the new breed at Yokohama, with Springbok centre Jesse Kriel and Wales second-row Cory Hill others to shine during the team’s passage to the playoffs.

Cory Hill was recently named in Warren Gatland’s preliminary training squad for the Rugby World Cup, but he is absent from the semi-final which is a big blow. It can also be argued that Hill’s selection by Gatland reflects the increasing global appreciation of the playing standard in Japan Rugby League One.

The Eagles’ Fijian flyer Burua Inoke, who scored 13 tries during qualifying, goes head-to-head with the Wild Knights’ Wallaby superstar Marika Koroibete, while Kriel will be up against fellow Springbok teammate Damien de Allende.

Saitama has won the league twice with Suntory but he has struggled against counterpart Robbie Deans – who has taken the Wild Knights to five titles.

Image Credit: JRLO

Sunday May 14

KUBOTA SPEARS FUNABASHI TOKYO BAY (2) v TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH (3) – Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo, 12.05pm

Sunday’s second semi-final sees Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay play Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath. Kubota has beaten Suntory twice this season and will aim for a third. At the start of the season, Kubota had never beaten Suntory in the entire history of professional rugby in Japan! Frans Ludeke’s team will use that motivation to aim for a clean sweep this season.

However the semifinal on Sunday is the fourth semi-final Kubota has reached since the South African coach arrived in 2016, and they have lost the previous three. And the visitors are seen as playoff specialists.

Wallaby coach Eddie Jones remains as an advisor to Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath and he will be looking at how Spears beat them just three weeks ago.

The Spears will be desperate to complete the hat trick however and find their way to a maiden final in the top flight.

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

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