Australia's 'one that got away' blossoming in Japan as final repeat awaits

Born in South Africa. Made in Australia. Starring in Japan.

That’s the story of Dylan Riley – the man Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo will have to stop when they meet Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights in a replay of last season’s Japan Rugby League One final on Sunday.

Gold Coast-schooled, Riley is a quintessential ‘One that got away’ story for Australia, having been overlooked for a professional contract after featuring in the nation’s U20 programme in 2017.

Ex-Wallaby and Crusaders coach Robbie Deans – who has shown a knack for uncovering hidden gems throughout his career – liked what he saw though, and it’s been both the Wild Knights’ and now the Brave Blossoms’ good fortune that he did.

Fixture

Japan Rugby League One

Saitama Wild Knights

28 - 28

Full-time

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

All Stats and Data

The 27-year-old was the competition’s equal top try-scorer in the Wild Knights title-winning campaign during the league’s maiden edition with 12, and second last year when he scored 14.

No Wild Knights player has more tries in the League One era, with the Brave Blossoms centre returning 44 from 75 appearances since he made his debut in the club’s colours in 2019.

Riley has also scored nine tries in 28 tests since Jamie Joseph handed him a debut against the British & Irish Lions in 2021.

Seven came last year, including four in the Asahi Dry Pacific Nations Cup, where he was the only player to score in each of his team’s matches.

All of which means that shutting him down will be essential for the defending champions, but they have proved good at it in the past, with the Gold Coast-schooled product having scored just once in seven games against Toshiba since League One began.

Last term the teams produced two classics, with Saitama winning in the regular season 36-24, although a converted try in the 79th minute inflated the scoreline, while Brave Lupus came up trumps 24-20 on the final day, but only after the Wild Knights had a try disallowed by the TMO due to a line ball call for a forward pass in the last minute.

Six-from-six, the Wild Knights are in their usual position at this time of the season.

Kings of the regular season, such has been their dominance, they have only been beaten on the field once in the four years since the league began.

Being pipped in the last two finals has added an edge to this year’s title chase though, while Richie Mo’unga and company are attempting to do what has yet to be achieved after the league’s first three editions, by staging a successful title defence.

If they are to achieve it, a win at Kumagaya would represent a major psychological step, especially given the Wild Knights’ formidable home record.

Saturday sees an improving Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath bid to deny Kobelco Kobe Steelers a fourth successive home victory, while Shizuoka Blue Revs will be looking to put last week’s loss behind them when they visit a wobbling Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo.

Winless Urayasu D-Rocks host a Mie Honda Heat outfit seemingly in decline, while 2022-23 champions Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay visit an inform Yokohama Canon Eagles outfit that has won its last four.

Tenth-placed Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars host eighth-placed Toyota Verblitz in Sunday’s second game.