Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

International Space Station to play starring role in Top League final

(Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

A rivalry that has been a stable of rugby in Japan reaches its conclusion on Sunday when Sean McMahon’s Suntory Sungoliath take on Robbie Deans’s Panasonic Wild Knights in the last Top League final.

ADVERTISEMENT

While global knowledge of the league has grown through its lifetime, interest in the decider is quite literally out of this world.

The final seconds to kick-off will be beamed in from the International Space Station, counted down by the station’s commander, Japanese astronaut Akihito Hoshide.

Video Spacer

Spirit of Rugby | Episode 2 | RugbyPass

Video Spacer

Spirit of Rugby | Episode 2 | RugbyPass

With the league going fully professional next year, the game is the closing chapter of a semi-professional format that has operated since 2003.

Suntory and Panasonic have shared nine of the 19 titles, with the Sungoliath twice edging the Wild Knights in finals.

Deans, who has been associated with the Wild Knights since the 2013-14 success, is bidding to add a fourth Top League to five Super Rugby titles.

The former Wallabies and Crusaders coach presides over a squad with a heavy Australian influence.

ADVERTISEMENT

Centre Dylan Riley, No.8 Jack Cornelsen, loose forward Ben Gunter, winger Semisi Tupou and veteran lock Dan Heenan all have strong Aussie affiliations.

Heenan, who has been at the club for 14 years, could be playing the final match of a career that, while significant in its achievements, has largely been out of the sight of his homeland.

Suntory is missing former Wallabies vice-captain Samu Kerevi due to injury, but the final will give his compatriots McMahon and Harry Hockings the chance to showcase their wares in case Wallabies coach Dave Rennie decides he needs either in preparation for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

While he often treads a fine line, McMahon’s destructive ability at the breakdown is key, with the former Test flanker’s ability to slow down opposition ball thwarting Kubota in last week’s semi-final.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hockings and English lock Tom Savage have also been a key part of Suntory’s dominance this year.

Their battle against Heenan and the Wild Knights’ England Test second row, George Kruis, will be critical to the outcome.

Suntory have averaged 58 points per game and in Beauden Barrett (162) has the competition’s leading point-scorer.

The final is his last chance to show why he should be the flyhalf when the All Blacks assemble in July.

Panasonic boasts the league’s most miserly defence, having conceded just 16 tries in 10 matches.

Their attack is led by Japanese winger Kenki Fukuoka, who has bagged 13 tries, including two hat-tricks.

The 28-year-old plays the final 80 minutes of his career at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, before walking away to fast-track medical studies as Japan struggles under the weight of COVID-19.

While grim reminders of the of the pandemic are ever present, and only a small crowd will attend, Fukuoka is providing a feel-good factor.

It is a story the populace has embra ced to the extent that most of Japan will be willing the World Cup star to success.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

A
AM 8 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

72 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Rugby fans are about to find out what Robertson's All Blacks are made of Rugby fans are about to find out what Robertson's All Blacks are made of
Search