Delight for Samu Kerevi but despair for his long-time Wallabies team-mates

Samu Kerevi has been the key man for Urayasu D-Rocks all season, so it was no surprise that he stepped up again when it mattered by scoring two tries to help his side retain Division One status after a nervous 27-21 win over Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi today.

Following a thrilling 43-42 win in the opening leg last week, the Division Two side made a great start, jumping to a 14-0 advantage after the first quarter, but the supremacy didn’t last.

Two tries in seven minutes by the Wallaby midfielder – his 13th and 14th of the campaign – allowed D-Rocks to turn the game and the tie around before half-time, with an Otere Black penalty goal giving them a 17-14 lead.

The sides traded converted tries after the break, as the Shuttles kept within range, but they were unable to find the try they needed once Black’s second penalty goal had extended Urayasu’s series lead to five.

Fixture

Japan Rugby League One

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

18 - 13

Full-time

Kubota Spears

All Stats and Data

As well as making a further statement to Joe Schmidt ahead of the naming of the Wallabies squad, Kerevi gained the additional satisfaction of besting his brothers, with hooker Jone and centre Josua featuring for the Shuttles.

Friday night saw ex-Italy coach Kieran Crowley’s Mie Honda Heat see off Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 29-19 to win both legs of their series.

Trailing by four after a 29-25 loss in Osaka, Kintetsu had levelled the tie by half-time, leading
14-10.

Departing Wallabies Quade Cooper and Will Genia relived the glory days, combining in a movement that set up the latter’s 11th try of the season, a personal best at club level for the 110-cap Australian scrum-half.

Genia later set up Kintetsu’s second try, but the Division Two side were left to rue their inability to make capital out of the sin binning of Heat second-rowers Mark Abbott and Franco Mostert.

Instead, inspirational Argentine back-rower and man-of-the-match Pablo Matera and Mostert both scored while Abbott was off the field, with Kintetsu again held scoreless when the Springbok second-rower was yellow carded.

While a late try by centre Timo Sufia briefly raised Kintetsu hopes – reducing the series margin to eight – winger Kyogo Okano crossed five minutes from time to secure Honda a third consecutive season in the top flight.

The defeat was a disappointing way for Cooper and Genia to end their six years in Japan, with neither of the 37-year-olds having revealed whether their celebrated careers are at an end.

There was no change to the status quo between Divisions Two and Three as Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves hammered Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima 51-24 while Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks edged Sayama Secom Rugguts 31-28.

Dave Rennie won the duel between the former Wallaby coaches, with Kobelco Kobe Steelers completing a satisfying campaign by beating the Robbie Deans-coached Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights 22-17 in the play-off for third and fourth.