Wiese's brace in vain as Marx's Spears outplay D-Rocks

ROUND SEVEN WRAP: Springbok Jasper Wiese contributed both of his side’s tries, but the D-Rocks backrower was outdone by Brave Blossoms international Faulua Makisi as the Spears’ skipper bagged a hat-trick, scoring all his side’s tries in the second half.

The maximum point return closed the gap between the Spears and Wild Knights at the top of the standings to two, with the teams scheduled to meet next month.

Kieran Crowley recorded some significant wins during his time in charge of the Azzurri, most notably claiming Italy’s first-ever win against Australia, along with a win against Wales in Cardiff, but Saturday provided arguably the Mie Heat mentor’s biggest success on the club scene as his side bowled Brave Lupus 44-38.

The defending champions’ second defeat of the season was the upset of the round as Japan Rugby League One resumed after its second bye weekend yesterday, with Honda set on their way by a fifth-minute try from Los Pumas centurion Pablo Matera.

The Argentine’s try was the first of five in a first-half blitz which fired Heat to a 34-21 advantage, with New Zealand-schooled winger Ben Paltridge scoring twice.

Although the game had long since been lost, three tries in the final six minutes – two by utility back Michael Collins – salvaged a bonus point for Brave Lupus, for whom Richie Mo’unga and Michael Leitch were first-half try-scorers.

Brave Lupus’ stumble allowed Kobe Steelers to extend the gap between themselves and fourth-placed Brave Lupus to five points on the points table after they won a 17-try shootout against BlueRevs.

A first-half hat-trick by winger Shunsuke Uenobo led Kobe to a 38-21 half-time lead, with skipper Brodie Retallick also scoring for the ninth time this season to maintain his position as the competition’s leading try-scorer.

The All Black second rower is one ahead of Wild Knights’ Brave Blossoms hooker Atsushi Sakate, who also added to his total during his side’s win over BlackRams Tokyo.

Kobe’s onslaught didn’t let up after the break, pushing their advantage out to 29 points before the BlueRevs finally mustered a response, posting three of the last four tries on a frantic afternoon where defence appeared at times to be ‘optional’.

With Kwagga Smith on the bench, the head-to-head duel between the Springbok backrower and his All Black rival Ardie Savea only lasted 26 minutes, with the BlueRevs skipper surprisingly held back by coach Yuichiro Fujii until the early stages of the second half.

While it rained tries in Hygo, in Tokyo it just rained, with BlackRams Tokyo taking a deserved bonus point off the Wild Knights for the second match running, as the competition front-runners ground out a 13-6 win.

Although they conceded what proved to be the game’s only try in the sixth minute, the gritty BlackRams did not relent, keeping the game in the balance as they stayed within a converted try margin for most of the match.

While the conditions made it difficult for both sides, the significance of the BlackRams’ defensive effort is highlighted by the fact that the league leaders had scored 31 tries in their previous six outings.

The competition point took the BlackRams above D-Rocks on the ladder, after Graham Rowntree’s men became the 23rd side to visit Spears Edoriku Field in the League One era and return home beaten, overrun 48-14 by Spears in a contest where the respective No.8s combined for five of the game’s 10 tries.

While the status quo remains in the division’s upper echelon, the picture changed dramatically at the bottom after Leon MacDonald gained his first win as Yokohama Eagles coach when his charges edged Verblitz 20- 14 in an exciting contest at Aichi.

As well as ending a run of 10 consecutive defeats dating to the last four matches of last term, the Eagles’ success raised them two places on the ladder, going above Dynaboars as well as Verblitz, with Steve Hansen’s men plunging to the bottom following their sixth straight defeat.

The losing bonus point means Verblitz have five points, the same as the Dynaboars, but they could have been denied that consolation had Eagles’ sharpshooter Yu Tamura not missed a penalty attempt in the final minute.

Glenn Delaney’s Dynaboars were denied the opportunity to improve their position after Sunday’s engagement with Tokyo Sungoliath in Tokyo was postponed due to snow.