SA stars set to headline as JRLO kicks off
ROUND ONE PREVIEW: Springbok stars will be front and centre as Japan Rugby League One kicks off on Saturday, with several South Africans poised to shape the early storylines of the new season.
Malcolm Marx, now fully fit and returning straight into Spears’ starting lineup, will clash with fellow World Rugby Player of the Year Ardie Savea, who joins the Steelers’ loaded bench.
And at Verblitz, Pieter-Steph du Toit is back at last after missing all of last season, with coaches Steve Hansen and Ian Foster desperate for a clean bill of health for their Springbok talisman.
Springbok influence extends far beyond this, too. Lukhanyo Am arrives at the Dynaboars as a major signing, filling the gap left by Kurt-Lee Arendse, while Jesse Kriel steps in as captain for the Eagles as they look to rebound from a disappointing campaign.
The 33-year-old TJ Perenara is still far from a spent force, and he will once again be determined to prove it.
The 89-cap All Black showed last season that his competitive fire still burns as fiercely as it did when he debuted 11 years ago. On his return to Japan, he quickly became the heartbeat of BlackRams Tokyo’s rise up the table, transforming the club from relegation candidates into genuine playoff contenders.
Installed as on-field leader by coach Tabai Matson, Perenara’s energy and instinct around the fringes repeatedly unsettled defences and helped end a 17-match losing streak against Tokyo Sungoliath – a showdown that ultimately turned into a season-long duel for the final playoff spot.
Now, as the new campaign begins, Perenara will be eager to remind his teammates that Sungoliath – long viewed as untouchable – are no longer out of reach.
Saturday’s opener is one of four matches on a stacked first day. Spears travel to the Steelers for a heavyweight clash between last season’s second and third-placed sides, with Savea and Anton Lienert-Brown among the headline additions to Dave Rennie’s Kobe squad.
Opposing coach Frans Ludeke brings a settled Spears group, boosted further by 10 Brave Blossoms internationals.
Further intrigue surrounds the Dynaboars, who again look capable of punching above their weight after adding Am, Semisi Masirewa, and Ollie Horn. They open against D-Rocks, now led by Graham Rowntree.
Sunday’s fixtures feature new head coaches Leon MacDonald (Eagles) and Atsushi Kanazawa (Wild Knights), with the Eagles seeking to extend their seven-year home dominance over the BlueRevs, and the Wild Knights facing Brave Lupus – the side chasing a title three-peat.
Division Two’s headline clash sees last season’s top seeds meet again, with Manie Libbok making his Liners debut opposite Christian Leali’ifano, while Peter Umaga-Jensen captains Hanazono in his first league outing.
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