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Richie Mo'unga and Toshiba stand in the way of Robbie Deans' sixth Japanese title

Toshiba Brave Lupus' Richie Mo'unga (Photo by Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)

Former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans, and his one-time Crusaders captain Todd Blackadder, go head-to-head on Sunday as the unbeaten Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights take on Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in the final of Japan Rugby League One.

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A victory by the Wild Knights, who are unbeaten in 17 matches this season, would hand Deans his sixth title in Japan, one more than he won during his stellar career in Super Rugby with the Crusaders.

The former All Blacks fullback won the first of those with Blackadder his captain, when the Crusaders shocked the Brumbies 20-19 on a freezing Canberra night in one of the epic Super Rugby finals.

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Fixture
Japan Rugby League One
Saitama Wild Knights
20 - 24
Full-time
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
All Stats and Data

While Blackadder has never beaten his good mate in four previous meetings in Japan, he has never been better ‘armed’, with seven-time Super Rugby winning five-eighth Richie Mo’unga leading the title pursuit, alongside fellow All Black, back-rower Shannon Frizell and Brave Blossoms stars Michael Leitch and Warner Dearns.

Brave Lupus suffered their only defeat of the season when the two teams met in mid-March, although a late Wild Knights try gave the result a deceptive 36-24 scoreline.

Blackadder, who hails from the same rural north Canterbury club as Deans, Glenmark-Cheviot, located a 90-minute drive north of Christchurch, twice took the Crusaders to finals when he led the club, although he is yet to win a professional club title as a coach after stints with Tasman, the Crusaders, Bath and now Brave Lupus.

The Wild Knights, who were denied by two points in last year’s decider by Bernard Foley’s Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay, are chasing a record seventh title, which would be two ahead of Brave Lupus, who last won in the 2009-10 season.

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Team Form

Last 5 Games

4
Wins
5
3
Streak
5
17
Tries Scored
29
45
Points Difference
111
4/5
First Try
2/5
4/5
First Points
1/5
4/5
Race To 10 Points
3/5

As well as three Aussie-developed Brave Blossoms representatives, centre Dylan Riley, loose forward Ben Gunter and second-rower Jack Cornelsen, Deans can call on star Springboks centre Damian de Allende and second rower Lood de Jager, alongside the wrecking ball Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete.

The day will be an emotional one for iconic Japanese hooker Shota Horie, with the 38-year-old playing his last game after a professional career which has included four Rugby World Cups, 76 Tests, over 200 games for the Wild Knights, the Sunwolves and two seasons with Melbourne Rebels.

Watch the exclusive reveal-all episode of Walk the Talk with Ardie Savea as he chats to Jim Hamilton about the RWC 2023 experience, life in Japan, playing for the All Blacks and what the future holds. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV

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J
JW 11 hours ago
The Fergus Burke test and rugby's free market

I can guarantee that none of the three would have got a chance with Ireland in the state they arrived from NZ.

Why would you think they would?

Two of them were at Leinster and were bench-warmers when they arrived

Sometimes you can be beyond stupid JW.

Haha look who's talking! Hello? Can you just read what you wrote about Leinster to yourself again please lol

It took prob four seasons to get James Lowe's defence up to the required standard to play international footy. If Jacob Stockdale had not experienced a big slump in form he might not have gotten the chance at all.

I'm really not sure why you're making this point. Do you think Ireland are a better team than the All Blacks, where those players would have been straight in? This is like ground hog day the movie with you. Can you not remember much of the discussions, having so many readers/commentors? Yup, 26/7/8 would have been the perfect age for them to have been capped by NZ as well.


Actually, they would obviously have been capped given an opportunity earlier (where they were ineligible to for Ireland).


TTT, who was behind JGP at the Hurricanes, got three AB caps after a couple of further seasons acting as a backup SR player, once JGP left of course. In case you didn't see yourself contradicting your own comments above, JGP was just another player who became first choice for Ireland while 2nd (or even 3rd/outside the 23 in recent cases) for Leinster. And fair enough, no one is suggesting JGP would have surpassed TJP in three or four years either. He would have been an All Black though, and unlike in your Leinster example, similar performances from him would have seen TJP move on earlier to make way for him. Not limited him like he was in Ireland. That's just the advantage of the way they can only afford so many. Hell, one hit wonders like Seta Tamanivalu and Malakai Fekitoa got rocketed into the jersey at the time.


So not just him. Aki and Lowe both would have had opportunities, as you must know has been pointed out by now. It's true that the adversity of having to move to Ireland added a nice bit of mongrel to their game though, along with their typical development.


Aki looked comfortable as the main 12 in his first two seasons, he was fortunate SBW went back to league for a season you could say, but as a similar specialist he ultimate had to give the spot back again on his return. There's certainly no doubt he would have returned and flourished with coachs like Rennie, Wayne Smith, and Andrew Strawbridge, even Tom Coventry. All fair for him to take up an immediate contract instead of wait a year of course though.


It's just whatever the point of your comments are meant to make, your idea that these players wouldn't have achieved high honors in NZ is simply very shortsighted and simplistic. I can only think you are making incorrect conclusions about this topic because of this mistake. As a fan, Aki was looking to be the Nonu replacement for me, but instead the country had the likes of Laumape trying to fill those boots with him available. Ditto with Lowe once Rieko moved to center.

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