Japan Rugby Top League 2016-2017: Round 7 Preview

Round Seven Preview

On Saturday, NEC Green Rockets play Suntory Sungoliath at the Kashiwanoha Sports Ground in Kashiwa city in Chiba prefecture. This is a home game for NEC with their home base just up the road in Abiko city, and the Green Rockets will be hoping their fans come out in force as they take on the undefeated Suntory. NEC started their season with losses to Ricoh, Toshiba and NTT Communications before claiming wins over Toyota Industries and Toyota Verblitz. However, the Green Rockets came unstuck against a powerful Panasonic side last round, going down 51-26 in Kumagaya. On the other hand, Suntory have had a clear run this season with straight wins over Kintetsu, Honda, Ricoh, Panasonic, Canon and Sanix and they are looking to add NEC to the list.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Yamaha Jubilo play Honda Heat at the Yamaha Stadium in Iwata city in Shizuoka prefecture. This is a game of total contrasts as the unbeaten Yamaha with the best attacking and defensive records in the league take on winless Honda with the worst figures in both attack and defence. The teams are poles apart with Jubilo on top of the table with 29 points while the Heat are on the bottom with two points. To make the contest even more challenging for Honda, they are facing Jubilo in their own back yard at the Yamaha Stadium where even the best of sides struggle to come away with wins. Yamaha have beaten Panasonic, Canon, Sanix, Toshiba, Ricoh and Kubota, while Honda have lost to Sanix, Suntory, Toyota, Kubota, Coca-Cola and Toshiba.

In the first game of a double header at the Hanazono Rugby Ground in Osaka on Saturday, Kubota Spears play Munakata Sanix Blues. Kubota sit well down the table on nine points from two wins and four losses, while Sanix have 16 points from four wins and two losses. The Blues won promotion back into Top League this season from the Kyushu league, and against all expectations have notched up an impressive four wins from their opening six games. Kubota lost to Toshiba and Toyota, posted wins over Toyota Industries and Honda and then fell to Kintetsu and Yamaha. Inconsistency has cost the Spears at times, but the 53-0 drubbing at the hands of Yamaha last round will be hard to come back from. Sanix beat Honda and Toyota Industries, lost to Yamaha then bounced back to beat Coca-Cola and Toshiba. However, the Blues were given a reality check against Suntory in Nagasaki last Saturday, going down 41-8.

In the latter game in Osaka, Kintetsu Liners play Ricoh Black Rams. Kintetsu went down to Suntory, backed up to beat Coca-Cola, lost to Panasonic and NTT, beat Kubota then lost 25-19 to Toyota last round. Moreover, Ricoh beat NEC, lost to NTT and Suntory, bounced back to beat Canon, lost to Yamaha before losing 45-39 to Kobe on this ground last Saturday. The season has been up and down for both sides as they sit on ten points each from two wins and four loses. The Liners and the Black Rams are evenly matched and the stage is set for a keenly fought contest between two of the older and more traditional sides in the league. On form, Ricoh should come into this clash with all guns blazing, but on their home turf, Kintetsu will be hard to beat, especially with veteran playmaker Yasumasa Shigemitsu again kicking well this season.

At the Wave Stadium Kariya in Kariya city, Aichi prefecture on Saturday, Toyota Industries Shuttles play Toshiba Brave Lupus. Toyota Industries have slumped to six losses from six starts going down to Toyota Verblitz, Sanix, Kubota, NEC, Kobe and Canon for a poor start to the season. In contrast, Toshiba had a good start to the season with wins over Kubota, NEC and Canon, before losing to Yamaha and Sanix. Last round, however, Toshiba were always in control against Honda, winning 31-12 in Fukushima. Toshiba are now 11 points adrift of leading side Yamaha on the points table and they have to keep the wins coming if they are to stand any chance of taking their first Top League title since 2009-10. The Shuttles are based in Kariya city and as this is very much a home game for the Toyota side, they will have to make it count.

In the first game of a double header at the Kumagaya Rugby Ground in Kumagaya city in Saitama prefecture on Sunday, NTT Communications Shining Arcs and Toyota Verblitz go head to head. The NTT side went down to Kobe in the opening round, beat Ricoh, NEC and Kintetsu; lost to Panasonic then beat Coca-Cola 17-14 in Tottori last round. As for Toyota, they started with wins over Toyota Industries, Kubota and Honda, but then fell to Kobe and NEC before beating Kintetsu 25-19 in Osaka last week. Coming into this match, NTT and Toyota both have four wins and two losses, although the Verblitz have picked up three bonus points to sit higher on the table. Playmaker Jumpei Ogura is in good form for the Shining Arcs and Toyota will have to mark him closely and not give away too many penalties in their own half.

In the latter game at Kumagaya, Panasonic Wild Knights play Coca-Cola Red Sparks. Panasonic have had a topsy-turvy start to the season with a first up lose to Yamaha, followed by wins over Kobe and Kintetsu, a loss to Suntory in round four then wins over NTT and NEC. The Wild Knights beat NEC 51-26 on this ground last Saturday and Coca-Cola can expect more of the same fast and open rugby from the three-time defending champions this weekend. Coca-Cola started the 2016-17 season with losses to Canon, Kintetsu, Kobe and Sanix, but turned that around with a resounding win over Honda in Kyoto. However, the Red Sparks could not maintain the winning momentum against NTT, although they were unlucky to go down 17-14 over in Tottori. Coca-Cola will give it their best shot, but overall, Panasonic should have too much class and firepower.

In the final game of round seven, Canon Eagles play Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers at the Oita Bank Dome in Oita city in Oita prefecture. Canon beat Coca-Cola in their opening game, and then lost to Yamaha, Toshiba, Ricoh and Suntory over the following rounds. However, the Eagles reversed the losing trend with a smart 31-14 win over Toyota Industries in Kumagaya last week. Despite a bad loss to Panasonic, Kobe have beaten NTT Communications, Coca-Cola, Toyota Verblitz, Toyota Industries and Ricoh to sit comfortably in third place on the table behind Yamaha and Suntory. Kobe are six points behind frontrunners Yamaha and if they are to claim their second Top League title after the one they won way back in 2003-4, the Steelers will have to make sure of a win over a plucky Canon.