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Shannon Frizell gets better of Los Puma's star in Japan Rugby League One
All Black backrower Shannon Frizell scored his third try of the season as Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo warmed up for next week’s top-of-the-table clash in Japan Rugby League One with a comfortable 35-12 win over Mie Honda Heat at Suzuka Gardens today.
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After a shock loss to Shizuoka Blue Revs last time, which ended a 13-match unbeaten run, the defending champions were held to a two-point halftime lead, before two tries in four minutes midway through the second period took the game out of Mie’s reach.
Frizell, who scored nine tries on debut in Japan last season, had the better of his duel with veteran Los Pumas backrower Pablo Matera, as the pair renewed an acquaintance forged in the test arena.
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Next Sunday sees a replay of last year’s final, where Brave Lupus edged top qualifiers Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights 24-20 in a thrilling contest played in front of a crowd of 56,496 at Tokyo’s National Stadium.
The Wild Knights, who are six from six this year, have been beaten on the field just once in the regular season since the league began (they also forfeited two matches due to Covid), and will be out for revenge against an opponent they beat in the corresponding game last term.
Robbie Deans’s men swatted aside winless Urayasu D-Rocks with yesterday’s 53-26 win notable for tries by the Springbok forwards Lood De Jager (Wild Knights) and Jasper Wiese (D-Rocks).
Their countryman Jesse Kriel ‘won’ the head-to-head battle of the centres at Aichi, scoring his fourth try of the season, and helping to set up two more, as Yokohama Canon Eagles moved up to third following a tight 24-20 win over Toyota Verblitz.
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The home side’s recruit from rugby league, centre Joseph Manu, put in some trademark defensive hits reminiscent of his former code, but still looks shaky in his decision making at times, and was well contained by the Eagles’ defence, in what was only his sixth game in union.
The Eagles and Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay took advantage of Shizuoka’s second defeat of the season, after the Blue Revs were beaten 33-14 at home to Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.
Impressive flyhalf Mikiya Takamoto weighed in with 21 points as Sungoliath stretched their unbeaten run against Shizuoka to 15 matches.
A comfortable 40-12 win over Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars allowed the Spears to also go above the Blue Revs, with the latter dropping from third to fifth following their defeat.
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Kobelco Kobe Steelers made it three home wins for the season after overpowering Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo 44-15.
Former Wallaby coach Dave Rennie’s charges have run up 130 points in those matches, with skipper Brodie Retallick a try-scorer in each of them.
The All Black second rower has the most tries of any forward in the competition to date, with five.
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