Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

Wallabies star saves the day for Kubota Spears

Bernard Foley and Kazuhiro Taniguchi of Kubota Spears celebrate (Photo by Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)

Wallabies five-eighth Bernard Foley’s late penalty goal has allowed the Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay to remain unbeaten in Japan Rugby League One after a dramatic 40-38 win over the Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo.

ADVERTISEMENT

The failure to secure a try-scoring bonus point meant the Spears lost the chance to go top of the standings.

Defeat was tough on the Rams, and on former Reds player Isaac Lucas, with the Queenslander having sparked his side’s revival with two tries.

Video Spacer

Video Spacer

While his final kick was the match-winner – and he finished with a personal tally of 20 points – Foley’s yellow card for unfair play after half-an-hour helped the Black Rams get back into the match, at a time when they trailed 24-0.

The Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights remain the league leaders after their thrilling 21-19 win over a gallant Yokohama Canon Eagles at Kumagaya on Saturday.

The Wild Knights fell behind for the first time in a hard-fought contest with just five minutes to play but escaped via an 80th-minute try by the Tonga-born Brave Blossoms prop Asaeli Ai Valu.

Without the competition’s leading point-scorer Yu Tamura, the Eagles were left ruing stand-in goalkicker SP Marais’ failure to convert Faf de Klerk’s 10th-minute try, alongside another missed penalty attempt in the first half.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Wild Knights’ Japan Test five-eighth Rikiya Matsuda kicked three from three, including the match-winning conversion.

In the boilover of the round, Brisbane-schooled Will Tupou scored the try that finally settled a classic game between the Kobelco Kobe Steelers and Toyota Verblitz.

Verblitz had to defend with 12 players after three yellow cards late in the second half but held on to prevail 38-24.

Things are not improving for Will Genia’s Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, who shipped 60 points during a heavy loss to in-form Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.

ADVERTISEMENT

Although Genia was a try-scorer for his outgunned side, the fourth-placed Toshiba crossed the line nine times to make it 17 for the week, afte r Todd Blackadder’s side pummelled Verblitz 63-25 in the previous round.

Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath remain third after romping to a 51-13 win over the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars, with former All Black Aaron Cruden scoring 16 points on his return from a two-game suspension.

Michael Cheika’s NEC Green Rockets were held scoreless as the Shizuoka Blue Revs, led by Springboks flanker Kwagga Smith, recorded their first win of the season with a 21-0 victory.

In the lower divisions, Toyota Heavy Industries Shuttles Aichi outclassed Kamaishi Seawaves 64-14 to stay third in Division Two, while two tries from former Melbourne Rebels winger Tom English helped Wycliff Palu’s Kurita Water Gush Akishima upset the NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes 37-32.

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

O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea
Search