Fourie continues to fire in Japan
Springbok centre Jaque Fourie has continued his rich form for Japanese side Panasonic Wild Knights, scoring tries and showing his class as the headline foreigner in the Top League this season.
Fourie has scored three tries in his last two matches for the Wild Knights, who are the Top League defending champions.
The 28-year-old has been capturing the headlines since joining his interim club, who he will leave at the end of the season to take up a lucrative two-year deal with the Kobe Kobelco Steelers for a fee rumoured to be roughly R22-million.
Kobe Steel is where Bok flyhalf Peter Grant is currently enjoying a second stint, and the Stormers playmaker helped his side beat New Zealand pivot Stephen Brett’s Toyota Verblitz 21-10 last weekend.
Another Kiwi with reason to celebrate this weekend was World Cup winner Ma’a Nonu, who has taken up a short-term contract with the Ricoh Black Rams before he joins the Blues for Super Rugby in 2012.
Nonu scored his first Top League try during the Black Rams’ 43-22 victory over the Kintetsu Liners. The Black Rams also boast big name players James Haskell and Tamati Ellison in their squad this season, with England’s Haskell set to join the Highlanders in Super Rugby next year.
Former Blue Bulls centre JP Nel has also been in hot try-scoring form recently, with a hat-trick to help NTT Shining Arcs defeat rivals NTT Red Hurricanes 34-24.
However, the top performer on the weekend was Fijian flyer Nemani Nadolo, who broke the Top League record by scoring six tries as NEC Green Rockets hammered Honda Heat 50-21.
Nadolo is a 1,95 metres and 129kg wing and, as one would imagine, has been compared with Jonah Lomu in the past. The large Fijian spent some time with the Waratahs in 2009 under his previous name Ratu Nasiganiyavi. The try-scoring machine is the cousin of former Wallabies wing Lote Tuqiri.
The team setting the pace in Japan currently is Suntory Sungoliath, who are coach by Eddie Jones and are top of the log.
Suntory have an array of international stars on their books – including Springboks Fourie du Preez and Danie Rossouw, as well as Wallabies legend George Smith and United States captain Todd Clever.
A few other recognisable stars playing in Japan are Brad Thorn and Kade Poki (both Fukuoka Sanix Blues), Rodney So’oialo, Tyrone Smith and Hayden Triggs (all Honda Heat), Isaac Ross (Shining Arcs), Rory Duncan and Jerry Collins (both Yamaha Júbilo), Mils Muliaina (Red Hurricanes), Hottie Louw (Green Rockets), Mike Delany (Wild Knights) and Rico Gear (Kintetsu Liners).
The Top League log after Round Seven:
1 Suntory Sungoliath 32
2 Toshiba Brave Lupus 30
3 Panasonic Wild Knights 30
4 NEC Green Rockets 25
5 Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers 22
6 Yamaha Júbilo 20
7 Ricoh Black Rams 20
8 Kintetsu Liners 19
9 Toyota Verblitz 17
10 NTT Shining Arcs 15
11 Fukuoka Sanix Blues 8
12 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 8
13 Honda Heat 3
14 Coca Cola West Red Sparks 2
