Another blow for Faf de Klerk as other Boks shine
ROUND ONE WRAP: Yokohama Eagles were unable to give their new coach Leon MacDonald a winning start, as the BlueRevs came from three points down at half-time to score a 39-27 success in the opening weekend of Japan Rugby League One.
Despite scoring a try for the Eagles, it was a disappointing day for Faf de Klerk.
The Springbok scrumhalf left the field before half-time, which will be a concern after two injury-hit seasons.
He could be seen on the sidelines with crutches for the rest of the game.
The BlueRevs’ own star scrumhalf, Shuntaro Kitamura, who scored 15 tries during his breakout season last term, contributed one of Shizuoka’s three unanswered second-half tries, after wing Malo Tuitama (twice) and centre Semi Radradra had crossed in the first period.
South African inside centre Sylvian Mahuza also picked up two in the second half to complete the try-scoring as the Eagles wilted.
Injury-plagued former Brave Blossoms flyhalf Takuya Yamasawa was the star as the Wild Knights gave Brave Lupus Tokyo a nasty surprise, carrying out a 46-0 demolition of the defending champions.
Highly rated by former Wild Knights boss Robbie Deans, the man-of-the-match in the inaugural League One final has managed just 17 appearances across the last two seasons, but all of those worries seemed behind him this afternoon as he ran the game and ruthlessly punished his opponent’s mistakes, kicking eight out of eight to return 26 of his side’s points.
Frans Ludeke’s Spears extended their winning streak over the Kobe Steelers to seven, overcoming the red carding of Wellington Lions lock Akira Ieremia in Saturday’s meritorious 33-28 win in front of over
20,000 people at Noevir Stadium.
All Black centre Anton Lienert Brown touched down on League One debut as Dave Rennie’s men led 16-15 at the break, but the home side was unable to capitalise when Ieremia was dismissed 11 minutes into the second period for dangerous play, suffering themselves when Lienert Brown’s test teammate, Ardie Savea, was yellow carded for dissent.
BlackRams Tokyo surrendered a narrow half-time lead as they were downed 29-15 by Tokyo Sungoliath, with test men Sean McMahon and Cheslin Kolbe contributing two of the winner’s four second-half tries.
Having lowered the colours of the Sagamihara Dynaboars in the final match of the last regular season, the D-Rocks repeated the feat to give new boss Graham Rowntree a 27-24 win first up.
In a dramatic finish, the Dynaboars led 24-20 with the clock in the red, but an 81st-minute try by the former Waikato wing from New Zealand’s national provincial championship, Tana Tuhakaraina, got D-Rocks home.
After an underwhelming last term, which reaped just four wins, there would have been relief around Aichi as Verblitz also got underway with a win.
Former World Player of the Year Pieter Steph du Toit, who was utilised in the second row, was among the try-scorers in the 44-33 defeat of the Heat.
The big South African found himself on the wing for his try, and also during an assist, when he got his pass away in contact to set up veteran former Brave Blossoms flyhalf Rikiya Matsuda for a decisive try.
Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok shone on his debut in the league, kicking five from six in the Liners’ statement 40-14 win over reigning Division Two champions Aichi.
Hanazono blew their hosts away in the final 30 minutes, running in four tries, one of which was scored by All Black centre Peter Umaga Jensen, whose twin brother Thomas was one of two Aichi players yellow-carded in a testy final five minutes.
