High-flying Bok faces biggest test yet against Faf de Klerk

The ruthless mentality that Los Pumas legend Pablo Matera has brought to his career is going to put the heat on Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights when the competition leaders host Honda in one of this weekend’s biggest clashes in Japan Rugby League One.

The 31-year-old, who appeared for each of Leicester Tigers, the Jaguares, Stade Francais and the Crusaders, before finding his way to Japan, played a leading role in Mie Honda Heat’s promotion to Division One during his maiden season two years ago.

He then made it back from long-term injury in the nick of time to help his team avoid an immediate relegation last term.

Even the disappointment of an end to their unbeaten start, after a late loss to Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay last weekend, is unlikely to dampen the morale of Matera and his teammates on Sunday, as they try to become only the second team to beat the Wild Knights at Kumagaya in the four years since the league began.

Fixture

Japan Rugby League One

Toyota Verblitz

32 - 18

Full-time

BlackRams Tokyo

All Stats and Data

Earlier wins over Black Rams Tokyo and Toyota Verblitz suggest Heat, who also boast the indefatigable Springbok second rower Franco Mostert as well as former Saracens flyhalf Manu Vunipola, have the tools to end one of the three remaining unbeaten records in this year’s league.

Another of those is held by the Kwagga Smith-led Shizuoka Blue Revs, who will face their biggest test yet on Saturday, against Faf de Klerk’s Yokohama Canon Eagles.

Semi-finalists in each of the last two seasons, the Eagles gained their first win of the new campaign last weekend and beat the Blue Revs comfortably last term.

Champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, who beat Kobelco Kobe Steelers last weekend despite the absence of All Black ace Richie Mo’unga, should extend their unbeaten run to 13 matches following Saturday’s run out against winless Urayasu D-Rocks.

Toyota Verblitz and Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath will try again to get off the mark against Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo and the Spears respectively.

Verblitz have won five of six against Black Rams since League One began, but three of the wins have been by a converted try or less.

After winning every game against the Spears between 2004 and 2021, Sungoliath’s dominance came to a shuddering halt during Kubota’s run to an historic title in the 2022-23 season.

Sungoliath have now won just one of their last five against their Tokyo neighbours.

The final game of Division One on Sunday sees two impressive individual try-scoring records go on the line when Kobes faces Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars.

Scotland hooker George Turner has scored in each of his three appearances for the Steelers, while South Africa’s Kurt-Lee Arendse has crossed the goal-line in two of his first three games for Sagamihara.