Official Review: Japan Rugby League One 2025-26, Round Five

A remarkable four tries from All Black second rower Brodie Retallick, and 27 points (including two tries) by former
(Waikato) Chiefs flyhalf Bryn Gatland led Kobelco Kobe Steelers to an emphatic 67-21 win over BlackRams Tokyo in
Japan Rugby League One today.
Retallick had three tries on the board by halftime and boasts the statistics any winger would be proud of, having
scored an impressive 30 from 54 appearances since his arrival in Kansai, as the home side raced to a 34-7 halftime
advantage in the annual Kobe Earthquake Memorial match.
Gatland, who kicked seven out of 10 attempts off the goalkicking tee, scored his first try in the 14th minute of the
second period to dash any realistic hopes the BlackRams might have had of a comeback, with the 30-year-old
grabbing his second six minutes later as Kobe pushed towards the half century mark.
Fittingly it was Retallick who had the final say, with the Kobe skipper completed his quartet two minutes before
time, to end the misery for the visitors, while completing the 46-point victory.
While it was not enough to catch the two sides above them on the championship ladder, Dave Rennie’s men
continue to hold defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo – one point below them – at bay, as they sit
third.
Kubota Spears and Saitama Wild Knights are setting the pace, with the status quo remaining on point’s
differentials – just one point apart – after both recorded 29-point victories in their latest outings.
As with last week against Mie Honda Heat, the Spears took their foot off the gas at the back end of their match
with Toyota Verblitz, with Frans Ludeke’s side conceding the final two tries of the game after they had romped to a
39-0 lead by the 51st minute.
Steve Hansen’s side have now lost their last four matches, conceding 160 points in that time.

Kubota’s 39-10 victory, which was their 22nd in-a-row at Spears Edoriku Field, featured four tries, and was enough
to stay atop the standings, after the Wild Knights had earlier inflicted a fifth defeat of the season on the luckless
Yokohama Eagles.
Saitama coasted home after the home side had threatened to make a game of it when they closed to within eight
heading into the final 18 minutes.
Two tries from Brave Blossoms hooker Atsushi Sakate, who shares top ranking on the individual try-scoring chart
alongside Retallick with seven, headlined the Saitama effort, with Australian-born second rower Jack Cornelsen
and winger Koki Takeyama also chiming in with try-scoring doubles.
Springbok midfielder Damien de Allende bagged his first try in what was his second appearance of the campaign.
The Jesse Kriel-led Eagles were not helped by yellow cards either side of halftime, as the club’s winless run, which
started at the back end of last term, extended to nine, a new club record in the nationwide leagues.
Honda are above Yokohama on the point’s table on differentials, also winless but with less points conceded, after
sinking to their fifth loss following a 30-15 defeat by Tokyo Sungoliath.
The Kosei One-coached Sungoliath, who had dropped their last two, were made to work, with Heat overcoming
two first half yellow cards to level 10-10 at halftime, and remaining tied, with the match level 15-apiece entering
the final quarter.
The red card issued to Heat second rower Mark Abbott for foul play, 15 minutes before the end, didn’t help Kieran
Crowley’s side, and the game was finally put to bed when Brave Blossoms veteran Kotaro Matsushima scored in
the final minute of play.
Fifth-placed Sungoliath are one above Urayasu D-Rocks on the standings, with the latter falling to their second
defeat, but only after a brave effort in a 38-27 loss to Brave Lupus.

After scoring a hattrick last week against Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars, ex-(Wellington) Hurricanes three-
quarter Tjay Clarke continues to enjoy his new life in Japan, bagging two more in today’s win.

Two tries from Fijian international midfielder Semi Radradra helped Shizuoka BlueRevs overcome a two-point
halftime deficit, and a first half red card to the veteran South African midfielder Sylvian Mahuza, as last year’s
playoff qualifiers ended a run of three defeats with a 47-36 victory at Sagamihara’s expense.

Former Dolphins cult figure from Australia’s National Rugby League, Valynce Te Whare, also touched down twice
for the BlueRevs, while long-serving centre Matt Vaega scored twice for the Dynaboars to advance his tally to five
tries for the season.
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners remain on top in Division Two after surviving a strong second half fightback from
RedHurricanes in the battle of the Osaka-based outfits, with the section leaders getting home 40-35 after having
led 26-0 at the midway point.
Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves scored the upset of the season across all three divisions when they edged
defending Division Two champions Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi 54-52 in a high scoring thriller at Wave
Stadium.
Kamaishi, who prior to today had won just seven regular season matches (from 44) in the five years since League
One began, clinched a stunning win in the sixth minute of referee’s time when backrower Kohei Ishigaki scored.
So badly did the Shuttles unravel, they ended the game with 12 after three players were sinbinned in a frantic final
eight minutes.
Former (Otago) Highlanders flyhalf Mitchell Hunt kicked the winning conversion as part of a 19-point haul, which
included one of a breathless afternoon’s 16 tries.
While ex-Wallaby backrower Toutai Kefu, who is in his first season in charge at the Seawaves, was celebrating a
grand body of work, his Australian test backrow counterpart Wycliff Palu was contemplating a disappointing
effort, after his Kurita Water Gush Akishima was hammered 59-24 by SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS in Division Three.
Former New Zealand national provincial championship player Daniel Waite continued his fine form for the
RUGGUTS, following up hauls of 18 and 28 in the preceding two matches, with a 19-point return.
Meiji University claimed its 14th title as the All-Japan University Rugby Championship reached a pulsating
conclusion, beating archrivals Waseda University 22-10 in front of 43,000 excited fans in Tokyo.