De Jager shows his value for new team
JAPAN LEAGUE ONE WRAP: The back-to-back league finalists Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights and Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath scored big wins in the fourth round of Japan Rugby League One.
The first two tries of the season from Wallaby wing Marika Koroibete, and a maiden Japan Rugby League One try for Springbok lock Lood de Jager, powered the Wild Knights to a hard-fought 34-19 win over Toyota Verblitz.
Verblitz scored the opening try but were unable to live with the home side in front of a large crowd at Kumagaya on Sunday.
Although Toyota opened the scoring, the Wild Knights quickly reasserted themselves, and were in control by half-time, where they led 27-14.
While the scoring slowed in the second period as both defences tightened and the error-rate increased, the result was never in doubt, which allowed the Wild Knights to return to the top of the table, while Toyota languish ninth.
Verblitz were hampered by the early withdrawal of flanker Kazuki Himeno, with the Brave Blossoms star only lasting 22 minutes after having scored the opening try of the game.
Suntory sounded a stern warning about its title aspirations, grinding down Kobelco Kobe Steelers 39-19 in Saturday’s feature match.
After entering the game as the top try-scorers in the league, Kobe only breached the Suntory goal-line once, and needed until injury time in the second half to do it.
Canon Eagles crushed thhe Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 74-7 in Osaka. South Africans SP Marais and Jesse Kriel shared in the tries, with Kriel making it two in as many weeks, after having scored just five from 13 appearances last term.
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars round out the top four, returning to winning ways on Saturday after a come-from-behind 23-19 win over Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.
Kubota Spears swept past NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu 40-7, while Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo backed up last weekend’s win by beating Shizuoka Blue Revs 34-22.
The Blue Revs, who remain winless, were not helped by the dismissal of their Indian-born fullback Keagen Faria for two yellow cards, although they staged a brief fightback in the second period which included a try by Springbok flanker Kwagga Smith.
Ricoh were led to victory by fullback Matt McGahan, the son of the Kiwi rugby league legend Hugh McGahan, who scored 24 points which included a try.
This total was the highest by an individual player during the round, although it was equalled in the second division by the former Western Force flyhalf Joshua Stander, who led the Kamaishi Seawaves to a surprise 44-22 victory against the Shimuzu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks in Tokyo.
Israel Folau scored again as the Urayasu D-Rocks overpowered the Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi 55-16, while MIE Honda Heat jumped above the Shuttles into second on the ladder after coming from behind to beat the Hino Red Dolphins by a point.
The NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes remain unbeaten in Division three but were tested by the winless Mazda Skyactives Hiroshima in an all-action game that featured seven tries and two yellow cards.
DIVISION ONE RESULTS:
Sagamihara Dynaboars 23-19 Brave Lupus Tokyo
Canon Eagles 74-7 Hanazono Kintetsu Liners
Kubota Spears 40-7 Nec Green Rockets Tokatsu
Suntory Sungoliath 39-19 Kobelco Kobe Steelers
Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo 34-22 Shizuoka Blue Revs
Panasonic Wild Knights 34-19 Toyota Verblitz
