Japan Rugby Top League 2016-2017: Round 15 Preview

In the first game of a double header at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Saturday, NTT Communications Shining Arcs play Kubota Spears. NTT and Kubota are neighbours with the former based in Ichikawa city in Chiba prefecture while Kubota base their rugby facilities nearby in Funabashi city. NTT have had the better season this year and they sit in fifth place on 36 points from eight wins. On the other hand, Kubota are in eleventh place on 28 points from six wins, a draw and seven loses. NTT should start the logical favourites to notch up the win, but after beating Kobe 23-16 in Osaka last Sunday, Kubota will be anything but a pushover. Compounding things is the fact that NTT lost 26-15 to Canon on this ground last round in a game they were also expected to win. Hideto Kondo was the man of the match for Kubota in the win over the Steelers and although he shifts from fullback to wing this week, he is a man to watch. Elton Jantjies is not in the NTT squad for this match and that could be decisive in the end.

In the latter game in Tokyo, Toshiba Brave Lupus play Panasonic Wild Knights. Toshiba have won the Top League title five times, been runner-up three times and have never finished outside the top three on the final table. The Brave Lupus played through to the final last year only to lose to Panasonic by one point, but this year is one to forget for Toshiba. Coming in to this match, Toshiba are in ninth place with more loses than wins with this being the worst ever season in Top League for the Brave Lupus. The 48-0 loss to Suntory last round only helps to drive home the situation for Toshiba. After winning the last three Top League titles, a fourth title in a row is now out of reach for Panasonic, but the Wild Knights are guaranteed third place on the table and a spot in the upcoming National Championship. Panasonic beat Toyota 36-14 in Nagoya last Saturday with wing Kenki Fukuoka scoring a hat trick of tries and so Toshiba will want to mark him closely.

In the first game of another double header, this time at the Hanazono Rugby Ground in Osaka, Kintetsu Liners play Toyota Industries Shuttles. Kintetsu have failed to live up to expectations this year after finishing in the top half of the draw last season. The Liners have only managed two wins this season and languish in second-to-last spot on the table. They are clear of relegation, but must face a one-off promotion and relegation play-off to keep their place in Top League for next year. The Shuttles, however, are only one place above the Liners on the table and they also have to play through a promotion and relegation play-off. Further, after losing to Coca-Cola last round, the Toyota side will have to raise their game. This should be a competitive game between two evenly matched sides. It might just take a bit of magic from someone like centre Anthony Fainga’a for Kintetsu or Japan international wing Hajime Yamashita for Toyota to sway the game one way or the other.

In the latter game in Osaka, Honda Heat play Canon Eagles. This is a dead rubber for Honda as their fate is already sealed. The Heat finished eleventh last year, but a last-place finish and along with that, relegation is already confirmed for this year. Honda are in the cellar with six points from just the one win with Kintetsu one place above them well clear on 14 points. Canon had a slow start to the season, but they have won their last four games and are now looking to finish with a bang. The Eagles had an impressive 26-15 win over higher placed NTT last week and the form is there to put Honda to the sword. South African playmaker Juan Claude Roos was the man of the match in the win for Canon last week and if he can get his side on the front foot, the Heat will be chasing the game all afternoon.

At the Yamaha Stadium in Iwata city in Shizuoka prefecture, Yamaha Jubilo host Toyota Verblitz. This is a must-win game for the home side as they go in to the final round hoping the Kobe Steelers can beat Suntory. The race for the Top League title for 2016-17 boils down to the final round with Yamaha and Suntory the only contenders. Yamaha are three points behind Suntory on the table and they must beat Toyota and pray Kobe beat Suntory if they are to collect their first Top League crown. Suntory beat Yamaha on this ground on Christmas Eve to knock the Jubilo off the top of the perch and now all they can do is make sure they beat Toyota. Toyota had a strong start to the season, however, they have lost their last four games and all does not bode well for this clash with the desperate Jubilo. Yamaha have firepower right across the board and should be too strong for an out-of-sorts Toyota.

In the match of the round, Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers host Suntory Sungoliath at the Noevir Stadium Kobe in Kobe city, Hyogo prefecture. There are only three points separating Suntory from Yamaha on the table coming in to this final round and a win here for Suntory will see the Sungoliath crowned Top League champions for the 2016-17 season. If Suntory lose and Yamaha beat Toyota in Shizuoka, the title would go to Yamaha. After finishing ninth last season, the worst ever finish for Suntory, the Sungoliath are just one win away from bringing home their fourth Top League title. Playing with 14 men for most of the match, Kobe stumbled to a 23-16 loss to low-placed Kubota in Osaka last week, but the Steelers are at home and gunning to spoil the party for Suntory. The title is theirs to lose and Suntory will be aiming to win and take the trophy with an unblemished record, as the Sungoliath are yet to taste defeat this season. If an aggressive Kobe show up and take the game to Suntory, this should be the game of the season.

In the first game of a third double header this weekend, Munakata Sanix Blues play NEC Green Rockets at the Level-5 Stadium in Fukuoka. Sanix have lost five or their last six games, but the Blues also have six wins to their name after gaining their place back in Top League for this season. The longer, more intense season has taken its toll on Sanix over recent weeks, but the Blues will be hoping to finish on a high. The Blues are free from the fears of relegation as well as the promotion and relegation play-offs and so Sanix should give it their best against NEC. It has not been the best of seasons for NEC, but a win would give them a balanced card of seven wins, a draw and seven losses for their efforts across the year. The Green Rockets have won their last two games and with the pressure off a tiring Blues outfit, the smart money will be on NEC collecting the win.

In the latter game at the Level-5 Stadium, Coca-Cola Red Sparks are in their hometown to play Ricoh Black Rams. Coca-Cola beat Toyota Industries 33-12 last week for their third win of the season, but the Red Sparks will still have to go through the promotion and relegation play-offs to keep their place in Top League for next year. On the other hand, Ricoh are assured of a mid-table finish with 35 points from seven wins and seven losses coming in to this game. Japan international Timothy Lafaele has been a tower of strength at five-eighth for Coca-Cola over recent weeks and he will again be the man to watch in the Red Sparks side. The forwards have been setting the platform for the wins for Ricoh with hooker Yuki Mori and lock Pohiva Lotoahea collecting the man-of-the-match awards over the past two rounds. Expect more of the same from the Black Rams this week too, while Tamati Ellison is waiting in the wings at number ten to set the backs in motion.