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Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath VS Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights

(Author: Azul, March 30, 2023)

On 11 March 2023, I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato Ward, Tokyo, to watch the 11th League One match between Suntory Sungoliath and Panasonic WildNights. The match was the same combination as last season’s League One final, so the crowd was extraordinary.

The paid attendance was 19,076, almost a full house.

The day was also blessed with fine weather, warm and spring-like, and people could be seen wearing light clothing. As it was a home game for Sungoliath, the yellow cheering merchandise was noticeable.

Let’s take a look at the standings of the two teams at the start of Section 10 of League One.

2022-23	League One Order(Division 1)	2023.3.11
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	GD
1	Saitama Wildnights	10	0	0	45	210
2	Kubota Spears	8	1	1	38	169
3	Tokyo Sungoliath	8	2	0	37	144
4	Yokohama Eagles	6	2	2	33	153
5	Tokyo Brave Lupas	5	5	0	26	103
6	Black Rams Tokyo	5	6	0	23	41
7	Sagamihara Dynaboars	4	5	1	20	-96
8	Kobe Steelers	4	7	0	19	-88
9	Toyota Verblitz	4	6	0	18	-69
10	Shizuoka Blue Revs	2	6	2	17	-1
11	Green Rockets Tokatsu	2	8	0	9	-205
12	Hanazono Riners	0	10	0	1	-361
	WP=Winning Point
	GD=Goal Difference

There were a few upsets in the Section 10 games.

Eighth-placed Shizuoka Blue Revs drew with fourth-placed Canon Eagles. However, they dropped two places in the standings.

Next, 10th-placed Toyota Verblitz moved up one place as they beat third-placed Suntory Sungoliath.

The teams in fifth to tenth place have a small difference in points, so they move up or down a couple of places depending on the win or loss in that section.

Let’s take a look at the two teams that played on the day.

First, an update on home team Suntory Sungoliath.

Sungoliath were the second-placed team last season and played a competitive game in the final. Naturally, they are favourites to win the championship again this season, but looking at their record this season, they have already suffered two defeats by the end of the tenth round. Some expect them to drop down the table from last season, especially as they lost to tenth-placed Toyota Verblitz in the 10th round. Against the teams at the top of the table, their vaunted attacking prowess does not seem to be translating well enough. Now, I will be interested to see how Sungoliath will fare against leaders WildNights. Today’s starting line-up was as follows.

Suntory Sungoliath
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kenta KOBAYASHI	181cm	112kg	23
2	Shunta NAKAMURA	178cm	100kg	28	Japan　0cap
3	Shinnosuke Kakinaga	180cm	115kg	30	Japan　11cap
4	Tui Hendrik	188cm	110kg	35	Japan　47cap
5	Harry HOCKINGS	206cm	118kg	24
6	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	188cm	105kg	23	Japan　0cap
7	Kai YAMAMOTO	177cm	98kg	22
8	Tevita TATAFU	183m	124kg	26	Japan　14cap
9	Yutaka NAGARE	166cm	75kg	30	Japan　29cap
10	Aaron CRUDEN	175cm	82kg	33	New Zealand  50cap
11	Tevita Li	182cm	95kg	27
12	Ryoto NAKAMURA	181cm	92kg	30	Japan　30cap
13	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	25	Japan　5cap
14	Seiya Ozaki	175cm	85kg	27	Japan　4cap
15	Kotaro MATSUSHIMA	178cm	88kg	29	Japan　46cap

＊＊　 Player to watch　＊＊

Ryoto NAKAMURA. 181 cm, 92 kg, 30 years old. Position = CTB. Japan national cap = 30. a key player in Sungoliath’s team, who builds attacks and plays a key role in the defence. He was a SO in high school and university, so he has a bird’s-eye view of the whole ground. He also has a strong physical strength and is more than capable of dealing with top-class overseas players on a physical level.

Next, I would like to introduce today’s opponents, the Panasonic WildNights.

Panasonic WildNights is the absolute champion, having reached the top of the Japan Rugby Professional League for two consecutive seasons in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, and are undefeated so far this season, aiming for a third consecutive title. The WildNights have a way of going about their business and even when they take an early lead, they always manage to turn it around and win the game in the second half of the match. All eyes will be on which team will be able to stop the WildNights’ winning streak. The starting line-up for the day is as follows:

Panasonic Wild Nights
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Keita Inagaki	186cm	116kg	31	Japan 44cap
2	Atsushi Sakade	180cm	104kg	28	Japan 32cap
3	Shohei HIRANO	178cm	120kg	29
4	Liam MITCHELL	197cm	117kg	27
5	Lood De JAGER	206cm	127kg	30	Soth Africa 65cap
6	Ben Gunter	195cm	120kg	24	Japan 2cap
7	Lachlan Boshier	191cm	104kg	27
8	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	28	Japan 11cap
9	Taiki KOYAMA	171cm	74kg	28	Japan
10	Rikiya Matsuda	181cm	92kg	28	Japan 29cap
11	Ryuji Noguchi	177cm	83kg	27	Japan 14cap
12	Damian De ALLENDE	190cm	105kg	31	Soth Africa 68cap
13	Dylan Riley	187cm	102kg	25	Japan 9cap
14	Tomoki OSADA	179cm	90kg	23
15	Takuya Yamasawa	176cm	84kg	27	Japan 6cap

The reason for WildNights’ absolute strength is their depth of players. The starting line-up is a gorgeous team of players representing the strongest countries, a sort of World Selected Team.

＊＊　Player to watch 　＊＊

Tomoki OSADA. 179 cm, 90 kg, 23 years old. Position = CTB,WTB. captain of Waseda University in the 2021-2022 season. He was selected as a starter for the first time this season for the WildNights, a team with a strong group of players. Has been selected for the national team in each age group and is expected to become the next generation’s national representative. His ability to read the flow of the game and react ahead of time is something that has been cultivated through natural ability and daily hard work.

So, let the match begin.

4 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath were feeling it early in the game. The game started with both sides kicking several kicks towards the opposition. Sungoliath’s WTB OZAKI received the ball on the right side of the field a little way into the enemy territory, and he put up a small punt behind the enemy line, where Sungoliath’s BK players gathered, CTB NAKANO caught the ball and ran into the in-goal and scored the first try in the middle right. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and Sungoliath led the game with the score 7-0.

18 minutes into the first half:

Around the 16th minute, Sungoliath almost scored a try, but video judgement ruled it a no try, and the WildNights regrouped and kicked an in-goal drop-out ball that went to Sungoliath’s WTB OZAKI, who took a short punt and rolled it forward for OZAKI. short punt and rolled it forward. He then caught it himself and tried to score a try in the right corner of the enemy in-goal, but WildNights WTB NOGUCHI stopped him just before the try. A video decision was made and WildNights’ NOGUCHI’s tackle was infringed as he went before Sungoliath’s OZAKI had possession of the ball. A certified try was awarded as it would have been a Sungoliath try without this infringement. Because of the certified try, seven points were added to Sungoliath’s tally, making the score 14-0. The infringement also resulted in WildNights’ NOGUCHI being temporarily sent off for 10 minutes.

30 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath were defensively aware on this occasion, and even when WildNights came close to scoring in front of the in-goal, they were able to win the ball back in a tight battle, making it difficult for them to score.

WildNights were unable to score a try, but they did cross the enemy 22m line, almost in front of the goal posts, and were awarded a PG following an infringement by their opponents. WildNights’ SO MATSUDA made a steady success of this, and the three points were returned. The score was 14-3.

33 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath opted for a PG after an opponent’s high tackle infringement between the 10m and 22m lines in enemy territory, and Sungoliath substitute SO TAMURA made a fine PG from a rather difficult position to make the score 17-3, again taking the lead by 14 points. The score was 17-3.

The first half ended with the score at this level, Sungoliath were pushed deep into their own half by WildNights, but a tenacious defensive display from their FW players ensured that WildNights were not able to score a try.

As you can see from the photos, it was a perfect day to watch the game, with high temperatures. The match also allowed loud cheering, albeit with the condition that masks were worn. The stadium also returned to an atmosphere befitting a hotly contested match.

Now for the start of the second half.

Let’s start the second half.

5 minutes into the second half:

As WildNights, they needed to score first to bring their usual winning pattern into play. At the start, the densely-packed battle was evenly matched between the two teams. However, once the WildNights got into enemy territory, FL BOSHIER and WTB OSADA exchanged passes with each other on the right flank, and after a quick move forward, BOSHIER scored a try in the middle on the right. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and WildNights made the score 17-10.

8 minutes into the second half:

WildNights’ first score of the second half may have been a counter-attack, as Sungoliath quickly fought back. from the kick-off after the try, Sungoliath connected with the ball and No.8 TATAFU got behind the WildNights’ defensive net. Sungoliath were caught just in front of the in-goal, but from the density created here, Sungoliath quickly moved to the right and CTB NAKAMURA connected with WTB OZAKI, with OZAKI scoring a try on the right edge of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and Sungoliath again outscored WildNights with the score 24-10.

13 minutes into the second half:

The WildNights players became more focussed at this time and began to steadily win the ball when they had the chance, and after a foul on the opposition in front of the enemy goal on the left, the WildNights won the ball in their own lineout and quickly moved forward in a maul, with FL.　BOSHIER scored a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 24-17.

14 minutes into the second half:

With both teams now trading points, Sungoliath quickly started a series of attacks, going wide left and right. The WildNights’ CTB RILEY intercepted a Sungoliath pass from the SO to the CTB and ran through to score a try just under the opposition’s goalposts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was finally tied 24-24.

20 minutes into the second half:

The WildNights went on the offensive at this time of the half and Sungoliath, determined to stay on the losing side, made a series of attacks, but Sungoliath’s passes were forcibly deployed and the WildNights were able to steal them on a number of occasions. The WildNights took the ball and SO MATSUDA calmly found space in front of the enemy goal post, rolled in a punt and FB YAMAZAWA ran in to hold up the ball for a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 24-31 to the WildNights.

26 minutes into the second half:

In the second half, Sungoliath were passing the ball even when they were in an impossible position to be intercepted, while WildNights were not releasing dangerous passes, but a numerical advantage was formed as their followers ran to the opposite side. This allowed WildNights’ WTB OSADA to receive a pass and score a try right down the middle. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 24-38 and WildNights finally 14 points ahead.

33 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath came close to scoring several times in the closing stages with a series of attacks on the opposition’s in-goal, but at the crucial moments, they threw difficult passes and cut off their own attacks. Conversely, WildKnights pushed forward from this point and came close to the opposition goal, which Sungoliath tried to stop, but committed an infringement, giving WildNights a PG opportunity in front of the in-goal. SO Matsuda converted it to make the score 24-41.

44 minutes of the second half:

Sungoliath finally had a chance to score towards the end of the game. From a lineout on their own ball in front of the in-goal on the right side of the opposition line, a maul was formed and they pushed forward for a try, but the WildNights rebounded. From here, Sungoliath moved to the left and the ball was finally passed to WTB OZAKI on the left side, who scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed.

Sungoliath got their revenge with a try at the end of the match, but the final score was 29-41, and in the end it was a fair win for the leaders WildNights. However, Sungoliath also showed signs of a resurgence of strong attacking power that had not been seen in recent games. Expect a great match in the play-offs.

With five games remaining in League One for each team, will the WildNights continue their winning streak or will there be a team that can halt their winning streak? We look forward to the future of League One to give the Japanese national team momentum at RWC 2023.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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Yokohama　Canon　Eagles VS Shizuoka　Blue Revs

(Author: Azul, March 19, 2023)

The weather is turning spring-like in March, and from Friday 3 March until Friday 21 April, League One will be playing night matches. On this first night match (3 March), I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato Ward, Tokyo, to watch the Yokohama Eagles vs Shizuoka Blue Revs match. Let’s have a look at the League One standings at the start of Section 10.

2022-23	League One Order(Division 1)	2023.3.3
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	GD
1	Saitama Wildnights	9	0	0	40	195
2	Kubota Spears	8	0	1	38	184
3	Tokyo Sungoliath	8	1	0	36	151
4	Yokohama Eagles	6	2	1	31	153
5	Tokyo Brave Lupas	4	5	0	21	64
6	Kobe Steelers	4	5	0	19	-34
7	Sagamihara Dynaboars	3	5	1	16	-105
8	Shizuoka Blue Revs	2	6	1	15	-1
9	Black Rams Tokyo	3	6	0	14	-21
10	Toyota Verblitz	3	6	0	14	-76
11	Green Rockets Tokatsu	2	7	0	9	-158
12	Hanazono Riners	0	9	0	1	-352
	WP=Winning Point
	GD=Goal Difference

The Eagles, who play this day, are currently in fourth place, and the Blue Revs are currently in eighth place.

In the standings, you will notice that Blue Revs, who are in eighth place, have two wins, while Verblitz and Black Rams, who are in ninth and tenth place, have three wins but are higher in the standings. Blue Revs are an extremely tenacious team. They are a team with the ability to make the top teams suffer.

And the fans know it, with a crowd of 5,929 on the day.

Let’s take a look at the latest news from both teams.

First, let’s look at the Yokohama Canon Eagles, who are the home team on this day.

They are currently in fourth place and have secured a play-off place. Last season, they ran out of steam at the end of the season and missed out on the play-offs. This season, they have become more competitive and have played close matches against the top teams. However, there are still six games remaining, so we must not let up until the very end.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Yokohama Eagles
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Takato OKABE	180cm	105kg	28
2	Yusuke Niwai	174cm	95kg	31	Japan 10cap
3	Tatsuro SUGIMOTO	175cm	110kg	26
4	Max DOUGLAS	201cm	112kg	22
5	Cory Hill	196cm	117kg	31	Wales 32cap
6	Sioeli VAKALAHI	178cm	110kg	24
7	Naoto Shimada	181cm	99kg	31	Japan
8	Sione HARASILI	180cm	120kg	23
9	Faf DEKLARK	172cm	88kg	31	South Africa 44cap
10	Yu Tamura	181cm	92kg	34	Japan 70cap
11	Masayoshi TAKEZAWA	176cm	86kg	27
12	Yusuke Kajimura	181cm	95kg	27	Japan 2cap
13	Jesse Kriel	185cm	95kg	29	South Africa 58cap
14	Inoke BURUA	178cm	95kg	23
15	Jumpei OGURA	172cm	80kg	30	Japan 4cap

＊＊　 Player to watch　＊＊

Faf DEKLARK. 172 cm, 88 kg, 31 years old. Position = SH. Caps for South Africa = 44. Commander of the South African national team, which was crowned world champions at RWC 2019. Continues to inspire the team with his combative style of play. He changes his passing path just before he gives the ball away, so opposing teams have to be prepared to defend against DEKLARK or they will get through his defensive net. He is a world-class player with a distinctive presence.

Next up are the visiting team of the day, the Shizuoka Blue Revs.

The Blue Revs are a strong team who were contenders for the top league title from 2014-2019. This season, they have dropped down to the bottom of the table, but have rarely suffered a complete defeat or a heavy defeat. They are always aggressive in their pursuit of victory and are a very worthwhile team for the team’s supporters to support.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Shizuoka Blue Revs
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kazuhiro KWADA	172cm	102kg	26
2	Takeshi HINO	172cm	100kg	32	Japan 5cap
3	Heiichiro ITO	175cm	115kg	32
4	Samuera ANISE	198cm	118kg	38	Japan 12cap
5	Murray DOUGLAS	198cm	115kg	33
6	Malgene ILAUA	187cm	107kg	29	Japan 7cap
7	Richard GOH JONES	177cm	93kg	23
8	Kwagga SMITH	180cm	94kg	29	South Africa 29cap
9	Bryn HALL	183cm	93kg	30
10	Kenta IEMURA	176cm	93kg	22
11	Chikara ITO	173cm	80kg	32	Japan 1cap
12	Viliami TAHITUA	183cm	102kg	31	Tonga 9cap
13	Hiroto KOBAYASHI	173cm	83kg	30
14	Eito MAKI	176cm	88kg	22
15	Keagen FARIA	183cm	85kg	28

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Kwagga SMITH. 180 cm, 94 kg, 29 years old. Position = FL, No. 8; South Africa Cap = 29. Despite being 180 cm tall, he continues to be a regular player in the South African national team’s FW players, who are all big men over 2 m tall. The League One teams know that SMITH is unstoppable one-on-one, so they have a special defensive system for him, but he still manages to break through.

So, let the match begin.

As for the match conditions on this day, the temperature was 9 degrees Celsius and there was almost no wind. The cold, I didn’t feel so much.

3 minutes into the first half:

Blue Revs had a PG opportunity from an opponent’s infringement in front of the enemy goal posts, 20 metres away. Blue Revs’ SH HALL scored this without incident to make the score 0-3.

15 minutes into the first half:

The Eagles advanced their position inside their opponents’ right 22m line on a penalty kick following an infringement by their opponents. Here, the Eagles gradually made progress with a series of attacks, mainly from the flanks, and finally No.8 Harasiri scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the Eagles made the score 7-3.

29 minutes into the first half:

The Eagles had a PG opportunity in front of the enemy goal posts, 5 metres out, and Eagles SO Tamura converted to make the score 10-3.

35 minutes into the first half:

A Blue Revs infringement saw the Eagles advance deep into enemy territory on the right flank. Just beyond the enemy 22m line, from a my ball lineout on the right, a moderate mix of FW rushes and BK deployment saw the Eagles close in on the opposition in-goal. SH DEKLARK then stopped the opposition with a dummy pass and passed to SO TAMURA who looped around and scored a smooth, flowing try to the left centre without any pressure on TAMURA. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score, 15-3.

38 minutes into the first half:

Just as it looked like the first half was going to end, the Blue Revs made a big play to the delight of the entire crowd. Here, NO.8 SMITH, with the ball in his hands, overtook two of the opposition defenders and drove forward, dragging Eagles SH DEKLARK, who came in to tackle him, still further forward. He went on to drag three men into the in-goal to score a try.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the Blue Revs were seven points behind at 15-8 with this score at the end of the first half, and this big play by the Blue Revs’ SMITH, which was replayed on the electric board, made such a strong impression on the crowd that the whole place was in stitches for a few moments. It left a strong impression on the crowd.

The first half ended here, but the game was hotly contested and lived up to the expectations of the spectators who had gathered for this evening’s night-time game. What will the second half bring?

21 minutes into the second half:

For a while in the second half, the game was deadlocked and no goals were being scored. It was only after a change of players in the Eagles’ SH and SO that the game started to get going.

At the same time, the Blue Revs switched to Greene (number 22) at CTB, and the developing attack began to find its rhythm and break through the opposition’s defensive network. GREENE then developed to the left and FB FARIA scored a try in the in-goal in the middle left of the enemy line. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the Blue Revs tied the score at 15-15.

31 minutes of the second half:

The game was leaning towards the Blue Revs at this time of the game. In attack, the Blue Revs started to push the Eagles forward, mainly through CTB GREENE, and in the scrums. Once the Blue Revs were pushed into their own in-goal, they regained the ball in a tight battle and connected with the ball from their own in-goal, and with an effective touch kick by SO IEMURA, they quickly advanced to the 22m line on the left side of the enemy line. Here, the Eagles secured the ball in their own lineout and attempted to connect and advance, but dropped the ball and committed a Not Release the ball infringement in a tight battle there, handing the Eagles the right to attack. From the penalty kick, Blue Revs No.8 Smith took advantage of a momentary lapse by his opponent and surged forward to score a try in the middle left corner. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the Blue Revs finally succeeded in turning the tables. The score was 15-22.

Once again, Kwagga SMITH did the decisive work.

33 minutes into the second half:

Eagles, looking for a win at all costs, went on the offensive from the kick-off after the try, catching the Blue Revs’ kick for a positional recovery and counter-attacking from there. FB MARAIS (substitution), who received the ball, used his individual skills to get past four Blue Revs defenders, where he offloaded and passed to WTB TAKEZAWA, who scored a try in the left corner of the opposition’s in-goal. Eagles kicker OGURA succeeded with a PG from a difficult position in the left corner to level the scores at 22-22.

39 minutes of the second half:

The Eagles came out on the attack in the closing stages of the match, with both the FW and BK going all out in a maul, while the BK, led by FB MALLEY, tore through the opposition’s defensive network. The Eagles kicker was OGURA, who was slightly more comfortable kicking the PG than the previous conversion goal. So far this season, OGURA had enjoyed a 100% success rate in goal. However, the kick was unsuccessful as it deflected to the left of the goal post. Immediately afterwards, the Eagles’ HC SAWAKI’s bitter face appeared on the electronic board, and the stadium cheered.

In the end, the match ended with the score at that level, and was a draw. Note that the Man of the match was Blue Revs’ No.8 Kwagga Smith.

The fans in attendance applauded both teams for a good game. Thanks, players.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars VS NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu

(Author: Azul, March　8, 2023)

On 26 February 2023, Japan Rugby League One reached its ninth round and I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato Ward, Tokyo, to watch the game. (Nearly half of my matches this season have been at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground.)

League One has already played half of its matches this season, and as of 26 February, the standings are as follows.

2022-23	League One Order(Division 1)	2023.2.26
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	GD
1	Kubota Spears	8	0	1	38	184
2	Tokyo Sungoliath	8	1	0	36	151
3	Saitama Wildnights	8	0	0	35	157
4	Yokohama Eagles	6	2	1	31	153
5	Tokyo Brave Lupas	4	5	0	21	64
6	Kobe Steelers	4	4	0	19	4
7	Sagamihara Dynaboars	3	4	1	15	-98
8	Shizuoka Blue Revs	2	6	1	15	-1
9	Black Rams Tokyo	3	6	0	14	-21
10	Toyota Verblitz	3	6	0	14	-76
11	Green Rockets Tokatsu	1	7	0	5	-165
12	Hanazono Riners	0	9	0	1	-352
	WP=Winning Point
	GD=Goal Difference

The four teams in the play-offs for the championship are now almost firmly established, with the Wildnights, Spears, Sungoliath and Eagles in the top four and points clear of the bottom five, with Bravelupas in fifth place still in with a chance of pulling the upset.

Conversely, the three teams at the bottom of the table, Liners (12th) and Green Rockets (11th), are almost certain to play for a place in Division 2. The remaining one team could be any of the teams in 7th to 10th place. It is a tough survival game.

If a team is relegated from Division 1 to Division 2, it will play significantly fewer games and attract fewer spectators, which means lower salaries for individual players and more players having their contracts terminated next season. The replacement competition is a battle for survival as a professional sports player.

And today’s game was a match between two teams who cannot afford to lose to each other in order to win the replacement game.

It’s between the Dynaboars, currently ranked seventh in League One, and the Green Rockets, currently ranked 11th.

Here are the latest updates on both teams.

First, an update on the home team of the day, the Sagamihara Dynaboars.

Last season, they finished third in Division 2 and beat NTT Shining Arcs in the replacement round to gain their long-awaited promotion to Division 1. Before the season started, most predictions were that the team would finish in the bottom half of the table, as they were promoted from third place in Division 2. However, the team has greatly surpassed those expectations, winning three games, losing one and drawing one by the fifth round, winning against last season’s top teams and becoming the eye of the storm in the first half of the season.

Today’s opponents, Green Rockets, were last in Division One last season, failing to win a single game, but survived to reach the round of fixtures and remain in Division One. For the Dynaboars players and fans, this was a game they did not want to lose. I expect a hot game.

Here is today’s starting line-up for the Dynaboars.

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Hayato HOSODA	173cm	103kg	27
2	Yuki MIYAZATO	179cm	103kg	25
3	Tomoaki ISHII	182cm	120kg	27
4	Linde Makoto DANIEL	198cm	105kg	35
5	Walt STEENKAMP	203cm	121kg	27
6	Masataka TSURUYA	186cm	105kg	32
7	Yusuke SAKAMOTO	176cm	95kg	24
8	Jackson HEMOPO	194cm	112kg	29	NZ 5cap
9	Kota Iwamura	182cm	87kg	29
10	James SHILLCOCK	178cm	88kg	25
11	Nozomi NARA	180cm	93kg	26
12	Henry BRACKIN	180cm	95kg	34	Japan 7th
13	Curtis RONA	194cm	102kg	30
14	Jonmun HAN	184cm	93kg	26
15	Alaia’sa Solarorand	177cm	94kg	27

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊

Kota IWAMURA. 182 cm, 87 kg, 29 years old. He is a graduate of Doshisha University and is the captain of the Dynaboars. A large scrum-half, a rarity in Japan, he is a rare player who can break through the scrum side and stop opposing FWs from breaking through on their own, with a physique that is comparable to a FW third row player.

Next, here is the latest information on NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu.

As of 26 Feb, they are in 11th place in League One with 1 win and 7 losses. Their only win came from the bottom-placed Liners. Last season, the team lost all of its games in League One and finished at the bottom of the table, but in the replacement round, they played with HONDA Heat to stay in Division One. The team’s attacking ability is also good in Division One, as is the way they play. The main reasons for the loss are the high level of infringements and the incomplete team defence: the Green Rockets brought in a large number of players from other teams before entering League One, so their team tactics are not yet set in stone. The Green Rockets, however, have been rubbing shoulders with the Dynaboars at the high level of Division One last season and are determined not to lose to a newly promoted team, which is the opposite of the Dynaboars. They are not going to want to lose this match either.

The Green Rockets starting line-up is as follows.

Green Rockets
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Suguru KUBO	178cm	110kg	24
2	Yo SATO	178cm	96kg	29
3	Satoshi UEDA	181cm	112kg	33
4	Daiki Yamagiwa	198cm	103kg	24
5	Luke PORTER	201cm	119kg	25
6	Whetukamokamo Douglas	190cm	110kg	30
7	Ryoi KAMEI	178cm	97kg	28
8	Aseri MASIVOU	180cm	87kg	24	Japan 7th
9	Nick PHIPPS	170cm	75kg	34	Australia 72cap
10	Taisetsu Kanai	178cm	88kg	25
11	Kanta OMATA	171cm	82kg	28
12	Christian RAUI	180cm	105kg	24
13	Maritino Nemani	181cm	101kg	30
14	Yuma SUGIMOTO	178cm	86kg	25
15	Lemeki LOMANO LAVA	178cm	96kg	34	Japan 16cap

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊

Lemeki LOMANO LAVA. 178 cm, 96 kg, 34 years old. Japan national team caps=16. Position=WTB, FB, SO. In a sense, he represents the current Green Rockets. He moved from Honda Heat at the start of League One. The Green Rockets did not have a player who could play the game-making SO at a high level, so Lemeki, who has not enough experience as SO, played a lot of games as the main SO last season. However, he has gradually adapted and has done so, reaffirming Lemeki’s extraordinary talent.

So, let the match begin.

5 minutes into the first half:

Dynaboars kicked off and the game got underway, with Dynaboars looking for an opportunity to score in opposition territory. From there, the Dynaboars expanded to the right and SO Shilcock easily slipped through to score a try just under the opposition goal posts. A successful conversion goal after the try also put the Dynaboars ahead. The score was 7-0.

25 minutes into the first half:

Green Rockets kicked the ball deep into enemy territory, where the Dynaboars attempted to maul their way forward from their own lineout, but the ball was held up by Green Rockets and a maul unplayable infringement was committed, resulting in a scrum. The Green Rockets then moved the ball left and CTB RAUI broke through the opposition defence to score a try at the left end of the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was tied 7-7.

29 minutes of the first half:

The Dynaboars secured the ball kicked into their own right flank, and when it was deployed from there, the Green Rockets were fouled for Not role away. From that position, SO SHILLCOCK kicked a PK to the enemy’s right near the 22m line, where the Dynaboars attempted a series of attacks from their own ball lineout, which the Green Rockets defence held firm and stopped well, but when the ball was deployed to the left, the Dynaboars SO SHILLCOCK cut in cleverly and scored a try in the left centre. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 14-7, Dynaboars again taking the lead.

First 34 minutes into the first half:

The Green Rockets launched a series of attacks in enemy territory. The Green Rockets attacked strongly and gradually moved forward in enemy territory, gradually closing in on the opposition in-goal. Green Rockets’ No.8 MASIVOU dragged three opposition day defenders to the edge of the in-goal, which was barely stopped by the Dynaboars’ defenders. However, Green Rockets SH PHIPPS supplied a quick pass from here and SO KANAI scored a try to the right side of the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was again level at 14-14.

The first half ended with the score unchanged.

The Dynaboars scored two tries through SO Shilcock’s clever exploitation of the opposition defence after breaking down the opposition formation with an all-out attack, while the Green Rockets showed their ability to break through with their No.8 and CTB to score tries by sheer force. It was an evenly contested game, with both sides showing their strengths.

Now for the start of the second half.

9 minutes into the second half:

Greeen Rockets lost a lineout of their own ball near the 22m line on the right side of enemy territory to the Dynaboars. However, in a dense battle immediately afterwards, the Green Rockets won the ball back and launched a series of attacks. After a series of densely packed battles near the goal posts, Green Rockets’ SO KANAI saw the opposition formation and released a long pass to WTB OMATA who was waiting on the left flank. OMATA caught it and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 14-21, with the Green Rockets taking the lead for the first time in the match.

17 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars scored from a lineout deep in the enemy territory on their right flank, and after a maul, they surged forward and hooker MIYAZATO scored a try in the middle on the right. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was tied 21-21.

23 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars were looking for a try rather than a PG after an infringement in opposition territory, and SO Silcock kicked deep down the right flank to give them a lineout on their own ball, which they mauled for a try. Once the Green Rockets broke up the maul, they were penalised and the Dynaboars again went for a maul try, with hooker MIYAZATO scoring his second try of the day. The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 26-21, with the Dynaboars back in front.

34 minutes into the second half:

After FB Roland was temporarily sent off for a foul by the Dynaboars in the 27th minute of the second half, the Green Rockets went on the attack in quick succession, trying to score a try, but the Dynaboars managed to hold on. However, the Green Rockets then won a lineout on the left side of the opposition line, and from there, the Green Rockets formed a maul and surged forward, scoring a try by hooker SATO in the middle on the left.

Hooker SATO scored a try. The conversion goal after the try failed.

40 minutes of the second half

The teams were locked in a tight contest with only a few minutes remaining. The Green Rockets dominated the ball and continued to attack in succession, using all the ground left and right, until the Green Rockets broke from the right corner and the ball was passed to FB REMEKI, who rolled in a golo punt from deep enemy territory. This was caught by Green Rockets WTB OMATA, who scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The horn went before the conversion goal after the try, so the game ended as soon as the conversion goal after the try was scored. The final score was 26-33.

The win gave Green Rockets their second win since the opening day of the season. In contrast, the Dynaboars suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, but as they won by seven points or less, they picked up one winning point. Both teams will now have a tough battle to stay in the first division, which will continue until the final day of the season.

Paid attendance on the day was 3,217. Thanks for the hotly contested match. Thanks to both teams.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY vs Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars

(Author: Azul, February 26, 2023)

18 February 2023. This time I went to the Edogawa Athletics Stadium in Edogawa, Tokyo, to watch the League One Section 8 match, Kubota Spears vs Sagamihara Dynaboars.

The stadium is a 15-minute walk from Nishi-Kasai Station on the Tozai Subway Line.

Volunteers from the home team, the Spears, stand at each point to give directions from the station. Thank you.

The match was a 14:30 kick-off. I misread the train time and arrived at the stadium just before the game started.

Pictured above is the Spears mascot, Suppy. The attendance that day was 3,534.

In my case, many of the games I have watched at Edogawa Athletics Stadium in the past have been rained out, but on this day, the weather was almost clear and the temperature was 16°C, making it a perfect day to watch the game.

On this day, I was watching the game from

I was in the grass seats behind the goal. The main and back stands are more comfortable, but I mostly sit behind the goal because it is difficult to take photos.

First, let’s check the League One standings in Section 8. Spears, who we play today, are in second place and Dynaboars are in seventh.

2022-23	League One Order	2023.2.18
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	GD
1	Saitama Wildnights	8	0	0	35	157
2	Tokyo Sungoliath	7	1	0	32	143
3	Kubota Spears	6	0	1	28	127
4	Yokohama Eagles	5	2	1	26	121
5	Tokyo Brave Lupas	4	4	0	21	83
6	Kobe Steelers	3	4	0	15	1
7	Sagamihara Dynaboars	3	3	1	15	-60
8	Toyota Verblitz	3	5	0	14	-44
9	Shizuoka Blue Revs	2	4	1	14	10
10	Black Rams Tokyo	2	6	0	9	-75
11	Green Rockets Tokatsu	1	7	0	5	-165
12	Hanazono Riners	0	8	0	1	-298
	WP=Winning Point
	GD=Goal Difference

Let’s take a look at the latest news on both teams playing today.

First up are home team KUBOTA SPEARS.

This season, they have shown more consistent strength than last season and are definitely favourites to win the championship. Their rival is last year’s champions, Saitama Wildknights. They finished third at the end of last season when hooker Malkolm MARX, a mainstay of the team, left the team due to injury, but this season they have a line-up that can challenge for the championship. The big game for the championship will be against WildNights on 4 March, but until then, neither side wants to lose a single game. And at their home ground, Edogawa Athletics Stadium, they currently boast an unbeaten eight-match winning streak. All eyes will be on how far they can extend this record.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

KUBOTA
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kota KAISHI	172cm	102kg	28	Japan　1cap
2	Malkolm Marx	189cm	117kg	28	South Africa　57cap
3	Kengo KITAGAWA	178cm	110kg	30	Japan　3cap
4	Yuki AOKI	188cm	105kg	30
5	David BULBRING	199cm	113kg	33
6	Peter Labuschagne	189cm	106kg	33	Japan　14cap
7	Takeo SUENAGA	178cm	98kg	28
8	Faulua Makisi	187cm	112kg	25	Japan　5cap
9	Kazuhiro TANIGUCHI	164cm	73kg	27
10	Bernard Foley	182cm	89kg	33	Australia　75cap
11	Haruto KIDA	176cm	90kg	23
12	Rikus PRETORIAS	193cm	104kg	23
13	Haratoa VAILEA	187cm	105kg	23
14	Koga Nezuka	173cm	82kg	24	Japan　1cap
15	Gerhard Van Den Heever	192cm	102kg	33	Japan　5cap

＊＊ Player to watch　＊＊

Haruto KIDA. 176 cm, 90 kg, 23 years old. Position=WTB. He is a graduate of Ritsumeikan University. He has represented Japan at various age levels, including Japan High School, Japan U20 and Junior Japan, and boasts a brilliant record. As befits his achievements, he is a regular member of the highly-regarded SPEARS squad this season, and is currently second or third in the League One try-scoring rankings. In games, he has the nous to score tries and the decisiveness to score them at the end. Depending on how well he performs this season, it would not be a surprise if he is called up for the national team.

And now, let me introduce today’s visiting team, Sagamihara Dynaboars.

Despite having just been promoted from Division 2 this season, the team has been the eye of the storm in the early stages of the season, racking up wins against last year’s top teams from the start of the season. However, towards the middle of the season, they have suffered back-to-back defeats against higher-ranked teams due to injuries to key players leaving the team, but I hope they can show a return to form here in order to stay in Division 1.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Hayato HOSODA	173cm	103kg	27
2	Yuki MIYAZATO	179cm	103kg	25
3	Tomoaki ISHII	182cm	120kg	27
4	Naoya NAKAGAWA	191cm	109kg	25
5	Epineri URUIVITI	196cm	122kg	25
6	Sam Chongkit	198cm	108kg	27	Japan 7th
7	Masataka TSURUYA	186cm	105kg	32
8	Dylan NEL	187cm	111kg	30
9	Kota Iwamura	182cm	87kg	29
10	Matt TOOMUA	182cm	90kg	32	Australia 59cap
11	Honeti TAUMOHAPPAI	180cm	94kg	30
12	Nozomi NARA	180cm	93kg	26
13	Alaia’sa Solarorand	177cm	94kg	27
14	Jonmun HAN	185cm	90kg	26
15	James SHILLCOCK	178cm	88kg	25

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊

Matt TOOMUA. 182 cm, 90 kg, 32 years old. Australian national team 59 cap. position = SO, CTB. the biggest highlight of the Dynaboars’ reinforcements this season. played in the RWC 2015 and 2019.

Possesses the qualities required of an SO at a high level – passing, kicking and running. Last season, the Dynaboars suffered from the departure of their main SO due to injury, so we hope that TOOMUA will be able to play as a mainstay without injury.

Let’s kick off the first half.

SPEARS scored the first PG in the third minute of the first half. The kicker was Australia’s SO FOLEY, followed by another Australian international, SO TOOMUA of the Dynaboars, who equalised with a PG in the sixth minute of the first half.

15 minutes into the first half:

The Spears attacked into enemy territory and an infringement by their opponents led to a lineout in front of the in-goal in the deep right corner, where the Spears mauled their way forward and then went left. The Spears backs then sent a man advantage to the left corner, where FB Van den Heever passed to left WTB KIDA, who took it easy and scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal. Eighth try in total. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and Spears made the score 13-3.

33 minutes into the first half:

Dynaboars attacked deep into enemy territory on the left flank, with FB SHILLCOCK showing some impressive individual skills. From here, the Dynaboars, after several side attacks by their FWs, deployed on the right and SO TOOMUA fired a kick-pass down the left flank. Dynaboars flanker CHONGKIT won a race against the opposition defence and made a brilliant catch just in front of the in-goal, where Dynaboars’ CHONGKIT fell down but passed to CTB NARA who came running in and NARA scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 13-8.

The first half ended with this score. It had been a close game so far, with plenty of highlights for both sides. Now, can the Dynaboars halt Spears’ winning streak at the Edogawa Athletics Stadium?

At half-time, Spears threw merchandise signed by the players into the stands as part of their fan service.

The second half started.

1 minute of the second half:

Spears showed a line attack and WTB NEZUKA made a sharp breakthrough, which was stopped by Dynaboars WTB TAUMOHAPPAI in a strong tackle. However, the tackle was ruled a dangerous no-bind tackle and TAUMOHAPPAI was temporarily sent off for 10 minutes.

However, this sending off backfired for the Dynaboars. They were then to concede four tries in just ten minutes.

Spears’ try in the second minute of the first half from a maul attack was a try that Spears powered over, but

4 minutes into the second half:

The big 193 cm CTB PRETORIAS, who replaced Spears’ CTB TATEKAWA who was absent for the match, made a powerful line break and a big gain and finally FB Van den Heever scored a try right in the middle.

The fan in the photo above is holding up the initial G for Gerhard Van Den Heever. Probably.

7 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars were trying to recover their position with a kick when they were attacked in their own half, once they got the ball back in a tight battle. However, Spears WTB NEZUKA caught the ball and counter-attacked, getting behind the opposition defence and the Spears FW followed up one by one and connected with the opposition in-goal, with Spears SH TANIGUCHI scoring try in the right midfield finally.

10 minutes into the second half:

Spears enter enemy territory and develop on the right flank, where once again Spears CTB PRETORIAS breaks through the opposition defence for a big gain, and the Dynaboars gather in numbers in this tight formation to stop the try. Spears’ SO Foley saw this and kick-passed to the opposite side. Spears’ left WTB KIDA, who was waiting in this position, then dodged one of the opposition defenders and scored a try in the middle left of the in-goal field.

For the Dynaboars, the 10 minutes of the second half when a man was sent off turned out to be a nightmare.

At the start of the second half it was 13-8, but

Just ten minutes later, the score was 41-8, with Spears scoring four tries and four goals in the process, deciding the game for good.

15 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars finally got their man back and were looking to show some determination by getting back on the scoresheet. After a long period of inactivity, they had a scrum deep in enemy territory and were pushed over by Spears, which led to a Spears infringement, where SH IWAMURA quickly cut deep into enemy territory to the right and connected with CTB NARA, who scored his second try of the day in the middle right of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also a success.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 41-15.

23 minutes of the second half:

Once Spears had gained momentum, they were hard to stop.　MAKISI received the pass and scored a try in the middle on the left. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 46-15.

25 minutes of the second half:

From the kick-off after the try, the Dynaboars had a scrum in opposition territory. Dynaboars lock URUIVITI successfully charged down an attempted kick by Spears replacement SH FUJIWARA and URUIVITI picked up the spilled ball to score a try just under the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 46-22.

29 minutes of the second half:

Spears pushed forward into the opposition’s in-goal and came close to scoring a try through sheer force, mainly from their FWs, with the Dynaboars showing determination and defending three times before Spears midfield prop HELU twisted his body into the middle right of the in-goal to score the try finally. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 53-22.

37 minutes into the second half:

Spears had a lineout on their own ball on the right near the enemy 22m line. Yamamoto scored his first try in League One. However, Yamamoto’s running form was both well-rounded and fast. We can’t wait to see what he can do in the future. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was 60-22.

Although the Dynaboars suffered a heavy defeat in terms of score in this match, they did not give up the fight and their determination to score points right to the end gave us hope for the next round of matches.

Spears have now won nine consecutive games at their home ground, Edogawa Athletics Stadium, since joining League One. The home fans will be eager to see how far they can take this record.

＊＊　Jersey collection 73　＊＊

KUBOTA SPEARS staff jersey, manufactured by Cotton Traders. Got it on Yahoo Auctions for ¥ 3,980. I am proud of the embroidery of the number 28 on the left arm. I guessed it was for support staff as the players are up to number 23.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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Tokyo Thank you Phoenix vs Nihon Taiiku University

(Author: Azul, February 19, 2023)

This week on Febrauary 5, 2023, I went to the Odawara City Shiroyama Athletics Stadium in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, to watch the Women’s Rugby Japan Championship Final. Odawara City is a famous tourist destination and has an image of being far away, but from my home (Hachioji City), it takes about the same amount of time to get there as it does to get to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground. The distance is about 65 km, and the journey takes 90 minutes by train.

The day was blessed with fine weather, making it a perfect day for sightseeing and watching the match. Since I had come all the way to Odawara, I visited Odawara Castle, the main sightseeing spot here.

Odawara Castle is about a 10-minute walk from Odawara Station, and you can reach the entrance.

As you exit Odawara Station, Odawara Castle can be seen on the right. From here, follow the signs and you will see the moat of the castle.

You can then enter the entrance and enter the castle. It has been about 10 years since I visited Odawara Castle. Compared to when I was here before, it was much cleaner and better maintained.

During the Warring States period, the castle was said to be impregnable, and indeed there are a number of gates from the outer moat to the keep.

During the Warring States period, enemy troops had to break through these thick gates, which was quite hard work. I was sweating just walking onwards.

The castle is quite large, so a guide map is provided along the way. Odawara Castle in its present form was built in 1633 by the Hojo clan, who were warring feudal lords. It was once demolished in the early Meiji period (late 18th century), but the castle’s main citadel and other parts were later restored.

The photo above shows the second circle of Odawara Castle and Sumiyoshi Bridge. As the situation with the new corona infection is now on the wane, people have returned to the tourist attractions in Japan.

The photo above shows the copper gate of Odawara Castle. It is still a long way to the castle tower. Well, it’s a long way, and if it were summer, you’d be drenched in sweat.

In Ninomaru, there was also this sightseeing facility. This is the Ninja Museum. Historical materials about the Fuuma Ninja Army, a group of ninja who served the Hojo clan, were on display. I didn’t have enough time to see inside the museum, but next time I come to Odawara, I would like to visit.

And finally, the castle tower. From the entrance to here, it took 30 minutes. Now it’s time to head to the match venue.

The kick-off time for the match on 5 February was 13:00.

The match venue, Shiroyama Athletics Stadium, is located on the other side of Odawara Station. And when you get to the other side of the station.

Oops, there was a bronze statue of Soun Hojo, a famous war lord, here. To the citizens of Odawara, Soun Hojo is a hero. With this statue by my side, I headed towards the stadium. Then, about 15 minutes’ walk from here, the Shiroyama Athletics Stadium, the venue for the match, came into view.

The stadium here has a capacity of 15,000, according to the data. The capacity of the main stand is thought to be approximately 1,500. The number of spectators on the day was approximately 700.

The National Women’s Rugby Football Championship was previously known as the National Women’s Rugby Football Exchange Tournament, rather than the Japanese Championship, due to the small number of women playing rugby. With the increase in the number of players, the name was changed to the current name in 2014. The winning and runner-up teams from the Kanto tournament and the winning and runner-up teams from the Kansai tournament (including Kyushu) are eligible to participate.

The results of the semi-finals are as follows. The venue was the Suzuka Football and Rugby Stadium in Mie Prefecture.

1/22 Game 1: Kyushu Nagato Joint Team vs Japan University of Physical Education Club Women.

(Nihon Taiiku University Rugby Club Women won 0-33 to advance to the final.)

1/22 2nd match: PEARLS vs Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix Rugby Club

(The Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix Rugby Club won 19-34 to advance to the final.)

Let’s introduce the two teams that will play on this day.

First up are Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix.

The Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix is a club team based in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, founded in 2002. At the time of its foundation, the team was formed mainly by OGs of Nihon Taiiku University, which we will be playing today. This is the first time the team will try to win the Japanese championship as a stand-alone team.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Megumi　TAKAGI	159cm	88kg	29
2	Natsuki KASHIWAGI	158cm	75kg	24
3	Ayumi KOKAJI	158cm	75kg	22
4	Jade CORTIS	178cm	78kg	24
5	Yuna SATO	169cm	75kg	24	Japan
6	Michi KURAMOCHI	155cm	58kg	24
7	Nana NAGATOSHI	159cm	64kg	21
8	Misaki SUZUKI	163m	63kg	30	Japan 31cap
9	Yumeno NODA	164cm	61kg	25
10	Aoi KUROKAWA	164cm	67kg	25
11	Minami SHIKAO	159cm	58kg	25
12	Mana FURUTA	167cm	68kg	25	Japan 18cap
13	Suzuha OKAMOTO	155cm	60kg	20
14	Triver NIA	167cm	68kg	24
15	Yume OHKURODA	157cm	62kg	28	Japan 7th

** Player to watch **

Misaki SUZUKI. 163 cm, 63 kg, 30 years old. Position = FL, No. 8, Japan national team cap 31. A leader in women’s rugby with a pioneering spirit, she was selected for Japan’s national team in 2010 and has been a long-time one of the leader of the national women’s team. She was also the captain of the team in the final on that day.

Next, I would like to introduce the Nihon Taiiku University(=NTU) Women’s Rugby Club.

The club was founded in 1988. Initially, the club had only two members and practised alongside the men’s rugby team. In 1999, the club was finally promoted to an official rugby club. In 2002, Phenix, the team we play today, was born as an OG team. Today’s match is, so to speak, a showdown between the same team from Nihon Taiiku University(=NTU). Since the Japan Women’s Rugby Championship was established to decide the best women’s rugby team in Japan, NTU’s women’s rugby team has won the championship five times.

Today’s starting line-up is as follows.

Nippon Sport Science University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Nanako USHIJIMA	164cm	77kg	20
2	Mei ZIZOUDOU	164cm	75kg	21	Japan
3	Hinata KOMAKI	166cm	78kg	21
4	Sumika ABE	168cm	73kg	22
5	Mio NISHIMURA	168cm	83kg	20	Japan
6	Soyoka KINOSHITA	160cm	67kg	22
7	Sakurako KOURAI	167cm	70kg	19	Japan
8	Yuua HORIKAWA	168cm	73kg	22
9	Sara  TAKAHASHI	153cm	57kg	21
10	Yurina SHINNO	178cm	88kg	25
11	Honoka TSUTSUMI	153cm	57kg	25
12	Miho HITORA	163cm	66kg	22
13	Rinka MATSUDA	170cm	78kg	21	Japan　9cap
14	Akari HIGASHI	170cm	78kg	21
15	Natsuki OHUCHIDA	163cm	62kg	20

** Player to watch **.

Nanako USHIJIMA. 164 cm, 77 kg, 20 years old. Position = prop. A graduate of Kanto Gakuin Rokuura High School. A candidate for the Japan national team. Started playing rugby in the first year of primary school, and her rugby sense shines through, backed up by her experience. She is also a very good runner and has played well in 7-man competitions. Her current position is prop, but she is also expected to play an active role in the FW third row.

So, let the game begin.

Let’s get the game underway.

Phoenix actively supplied the ball to the backs and launched open attacks. In contrast, NTU attacked with SO SHINNO’s kicks as the starting point.

On the physical side, Phoenix were slightly better at set pieces. In the first half, Phoenix attacked almost exclusively in the opponents’ territory, creating numerous scoring chances. However, they just couldn’t get past the NTU defence in front of the in-goal.

27 minutes into the first half:

NTU won the ball and each BK player advanced their position with a kick. When NTU kicked the ball into their own half, Phoenix FB OHKURODA tried to kick it back, but NTU CTB MATSUDA charged and the ball rolled deep into enemy territory. Phoenix managed to secure the ball and when SO KUROKAWA tried to kick it back, NTU CTB MATSUDA charged again, MATSUDA caught the ball and ran into the enemy in-goal to score a try. NTU SO SHINNO scored the conversion goal after the try to make the score 0-7.

35 minutes into the first half:

NTU’s tactic of gradually advancing from their own line with kicks saw them move deep into enemy territory. From here, NTU developed from a tight pack on the left edge and CTB HITORA kicked a pass which WTB HIGASHI caught well to score a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right. The conversion goal after the try failed, leaving the score 0-12.

43 minutes into the first half:

Phenix SO KUROKAWA kicked out of their own half, which went out beyond the enemy 22m line, so the 50-22 rule was applied and Phoenix had their own lineout just beyond the enemy 22m line. From this point, Phoenix made numerous attempts to advance, mainly through the FWs, in an attempt to score, but they were unable to cross the goal line. However, in the closing minutes of the first half, in a tight battle in front of the enemy in-goal, hooker KASHIWAGI dived into the middle left of the in-goal to score a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-12.

At the end of the first half, Phoenix had a slight physical advantage over NTU and had the upper hand in the set-piece, keeping the game in opposition territory for most of the first half, but were unable to break through their opponents’ defence and score. In contrast, NTU made the most of the few chances they had to get behind their opponents with kicks, which effectively led to scores. However, depending on their tactics in the second half, the game could go either way.

So let’s get the second half underway.

2 minutes into the second half:

The second half began with the Phoenix kick-off. In the first half, NTU boasted an iron-clad day defence, but early in the second half, the defensive net broke down in places and was breached three times, allowing Phoenix to come close to scoring in-goal. Phoenix, from a cluster formed in front of the goalposts, developed to the left and the ball was passed from the SO to the left WTB, with left WTB SHIKAO scoring a try in the left corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was tied 12-12.

9 minutes into the second half:

From the kick-off after the try, NTU moved forward, mainly through their FW players, to close in on the enemy in-goal, forming a cluster at the left corner of the enemy goal posts, where prop KOMAKI attacked the side of the cluster and scored a try in the middle left of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-19. NTU took the lead again.

16 minutes into the second half:

From deep in their own half, the Phoenix team moved to the right and the ball was passed to right WTB NIA, who raced through at high speed to get in front of the enemy in-goal. NTU managed to hold off Phoenix’s NIA in front of their own in-goal, but in the tight pack in this position, they committed an infringement. From there, Phoenix hooker KASHIWAGI rushed forward and scored a try on the right side of the goal post. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 17-19. Phoenix were again two points behind.

27 minutes of the second half:

With 12 minutes remaining in the game, Phoenix were attacked by NTU at this time and were unable to push back. In response, NTU showed effective attacking moves, such as BK development and kicks to the back of the opposition’s defence. From a corner in their own half, Phoenix passed the ball from the SH to the SO, who attempted to kick the ball, and NTU FB OHUCHIDA successfully charged in. OHUCHIDA picked up the ball herself and scored a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed and the score was 17-24.

30 minutes of the second half:

From the kick-off after the try, both teams kicked deep with each other. Phoenix counter-attacked through the middle of the opposition defence with left wing WTB MASUDA, who took over as a substitute. Phoenix went close to the post at once, but NTU held them off. However, Phoenix was able to move to the left through the crowd and the ball was passed from the SO to CTB OKAMOTO, who scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed, but Phoenix were again within two points with the score 22-24.

39 minutes into the second half:

NTU showed a tactic of consuming the remaining time by taking their time and attacking slowly, mainly through the FWs in enemy territory. However, a painful knock-on in a maul resulted in the ball going to Phoenix. From here, Phoenix almost made their final attack, moving the determined right WTB NIA to the left flank. Could Phoenix turn the ball free to NIA?

Phoenix quickly deployed from a deep position of their own in-goal, and with space created, the ball was passed to WTB NIA. From here, NIA lived up to expectations, cutting through the swerve and weaving through NTU defence to the 10m line on the left side of the opposition line.

With less than a minute left on the clock, NTU also had to use their last gasp of power to hold off NIA’s advance. From here, the Phoenix moved to the right edge of the field, looking to score a try, but NTU showed their mettle and stopped Phoenix advance just short of the 22m line on the right edge of the field.

From this cluster, the Phoenix deployed further left, laying a deep line to allow WTB NIA to pass free, and when she crossed to NIA on the left edge, there was a big space in front of her. Two NSU defenders also tried hard to drive NIA out of the ground, but NIA stepped up just in time to score a dramatic reverse final try in the left corner.

A conversion goal after the try was missed, but Phoenix turned the score around with a final try by WTB NIA, 27-24, to become this season’s Japanese champions.

The match was a high profile affair with both sides trading points and a dramatic end to the match. Phoenix became the first solo team to win the Japanese Championship.

＊＊　Jersey collection 72　＊＊

This time, I would like to introduce a football jersey, but as an extra edition. It is a jersey of the Italian professional football team, the mighty Juventus. I bought it new second-hand on Yahoo Auctions for ¥2,500. The red, white and green colours representing the colours of the Italian flag are so beautiful that I couldn’t help but want one. This time, I was able to win the bid without any competition, so I was happy to get it at a lower price.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath vs Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars

(Author: Azul, February 7, 2023)

In its second season, Japan Rugby League One started on 17 December 2022 and reached its sixth round on 29 January. Here are the League One First Division standings so far.

2022-23	League One Order	2023.1.29
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	GD
1	Saitama Wildnights	6	0	0	25	77
2	Kubota Spears	4	2	1	20	115
3	Tokyo Brave Lupas	4	2	0	20	100
4	Tokyo Sungoliath	4	1	0	19	88
5	Yokohama Eagles	3	1	2	17	89
6	Sagamihara Dynaboars	3	1	1	15	-3
7	Toyota Verblitz	2	4	0	10	-37
8	Kobe Steelers	2	4	0	10	-18
9	Black Rams Tokyo	2	3	0	8	-21
10	Green Rockets Tokatsu	1	4	0	4	-96
11	Shizuoka Blue Revs	0	4	1	4	-31
12	Hanazono Liners	0	6	0	1	-243
	WP=Winning Point
	GD=Goal Difference

Last season’s champions, Wild Knights, have been consistently strong this season and are in provisional first place.

The weakest side are the bottom-placed Liners, who have lost all six of their games, all but one of which were heavy defeats. In particular, their defence was in a state of collapse.

In contrast, Dynaboars, another team promoted from the second division, have done quite well, beating last season’s top teams Bravelupas and Verblitz. This is a great achievement and the eye of the typhoon this season.

I went to watch the match between Tokyo Sungoliath and Sagamihara Dynaboars on 29 January this time. The venue for this match was the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato Ward, Tokyo.

As for the weather conditions on the day, the temperature was 8 degrees Celsius at the 14:30 kick-off. It was a home game for Sungoliath.

As you would expect from a popular team, Sungoliath drew a large crowd when they played at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground – for a League One first division team match, the approximate crowd for each match is around 5,000, but on this day, the attendance was 7,018.

Immediately after RWC2019, the event boasted a popularity that saw every match almost fully booked, but three years later, the popularity of the event has slightly declined. If the Japanese national team performs well at this year’s RWC 2023, there is a possibility that popularity could rise again.

The Visitor Team of the day, Dynaboars, also had a tent where fans gathered.

It is very cold to watch the game in the middle of winter, so on this day I watched the game in the back stand, where the sun shone during the game.

Let me introduce the two teams playing this day.

First, an update on the home team, Tokyo Sungoliath.

Sungoliath finished second in League One last season, but they have the firepower to win the championship again this season. Every year, the team attracts promising players from strong universities and the player pool is so thick that even star players who have a shot at the national team have a hard time getting into the game. This season, too, promising star players have joined the team. Introduced on this day were.

1) Mikiya TAKAMOTO – from Teikyo University. Position = SO, and was the best player in this season’s University Championships.

2) Masahiko SAGARA – from Waseda University. Position = FL; captain of Waseda University, which reached the final of this season’s University Championships.

(3) Soshi Ohga – from Meiji University. Position = prop. One of the leading props of this generation.

(4) Vunilagi SAIMONI. from Daito Bunka University. International student from Fiji who is expected to make an immediate impact.

The starting line-up for the day is as follows.

Suntory Sungoliath
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kenta KOBAYASHI	181cm	112kg	23
2	Shunta NAKAMURA	178cm	100kg	28	Japan　0cap
3	Shinnosuke Kakinaga	180cm	115kg	30	Japan　11cap
4	Tui Hendrik	188cm	110kg	35	Japan　47cap
5	Harry HOCKINGS	206cm	118kg	24
6	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	188cm	105kg	23	Japan　0cap
7	Kai YAMAMOTO	177cm	98kg	22
8	Tevita TATAFU	183m	124kg	26	Japan　14cap
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	73kg	25	Japan　10cap
10	Aaron CRUDEN	175cm	82kg	33	New Zealand  50cap
11	Tevita Li	182cm	95kg	27
12	Ryoto Nakamura	181cm	92kg	30	Japan　30cap
13	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	25	Japan　5cap
14	Seiya Ozaki	175cm	85kg	27	Japan　4cap
15	Kotaro MATSUSHIMA	178cm	88kg	29	Japan　46cap

** Player to watch **.

Harry HOCKINGS. 206 cm, 118 kg, 24 years old from Australia. Position = lock. An irreplaceable player in Sungoliath’s squad. He is an international class player in terms of size, and at only 24 years of age, he is a young, injury prone and central player in the Sungoliath lineout. He has the potential to make the national team in the near future.

Next up is an update on visiting team Dynaboars.

No experts expected Dynaboars to be among the top contenders this season, having been promoted from League One’s second division to the first this season. There have been no significant reinforcements this season and many fans felt threatened by the departure of Michael LITTLE, a key player who had been the team’s mainstay until last season. However, once the season started, the team defeated one opponent after another, whom they had never beaten before. This season, Dynaboars have become the typhoon of League One. Hopefully, they can keep this momentum going until the end of the season.

The starting line-up for the day is as follows.

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shunsuke SAKAMOTO	180cm	107kg	24
2	Yoshimitsu Yasue	176cm	109kg	38	Japan 2cap
3	Mototsugu HACHIYA	180cm	115kg	24
4	Makoto Daniel Linde	195cm	110kg	35
5	Epineri URUIVITI	196cm	122kg	25
6	Sam Chongkit	198cm	108kg	27	Japan 7th
7	Kohki SATO	178cm	96kg	27
8	Jackson Hemopo	195cm	112kg	28	New Zealand  5cap
9	Kota Iwamura	182cm	87kg	29
10	James SHILLCOCK	178cm	88kg	25
11	Alaia’sa Solarorand	177cm	94kg	27
12	Fisipuna TUIAKI	188cm	105kg	27	JAPAN 7th
13	Matt Vaega	179cm	94kg	28
14	Tomoyuki OCHIAI	185cm	95kg	28
15	Kazuki Ishida	173cm	85kg	27	WORLD SELECTION

** Players to watch **.

James SHILLCOCK. 178 cm, 88 kg, 25 years old, from England. He started the season on the bench as a reserve SO, but when he came on in place of main SO Matt TOOMUA, he secured his place with his accurate kicking. He is accurate on long and short PGs and his contested kicks with long dwell time make him a threat to the opposition.

Now, the match is about to begin.

From the very start of the match, the Dynaboars’ energetic advances were noticeable. They drove hard from the kick-off and had a scoring opportunity just beyond the opposition 22m line. Here, the Dynaboars launched a series of attacks that lasted for a total of 21 phases without any infringements. However, Sungoliath’s defence was also outstanding in not allowing a score here. In the end, Sungoliath won the ball back and survived the early pinch.

16 mins of the first half:

Sungoliath deployed from near halfway and connected with WTB LI, who quickly advanced and attacked deep into enemy territory. Sungoliath looked to have taken the lead, but a video decision ruled the try was disallowed due to an infringement. However, the Dynaboars were also fouled for offside, giving Sungoliath the right to a PG almost in front of the goal post, 20 metres out. This was scored by Sungoliath’s SO CRUDEN to make the score 3-0.

34 minutes into the first half:

Dynaboars made several advances deep into enemy territory but inevitably failed to score in-goal. When you keep missing scoring chances, the game turns to your opponents, and this happened again in this match.

Sungoliath got off to a good start from a 5m scrum in front of their own in-goal, made a gain on the right and then took a big step to the left, where CTB NAKAMURA’s kick-pass was caught by WTB LI, who showed great speed and ran into the middle right of the opposition in-goal for the try. Sungoliath ended up running nearly 100 metres at a stretch. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-3.

37 mins into the first half:

In a tight battle immediately after the kick-off following Sungoliath’s try, the Dynaboars had a PG opportunity following an infringement by their opponents, which was scored by SO SHILLCOCK to make the score 10-6.

40 minutes into the first half:

This time Sungoliath made a series of attacks in enemy territory and their first try chance was blocked by the Dynaboars. However, shortly afterwards, from a scrum on the right edge in front of the enemy in-goal, Sungoliath developed to the left and WTB LI was caught as he dived past two enemy defenders to close in on the in-goal. Here, a tight battle ensued, and Sungoliath secured the ball, which was then rolled out to the left and prop KOBAYASHI, running in from behind, scored a try in the middle on the left. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and Sungoliath ended the first half with the score 17-6.

Looking back at the first half, the Dynaboars were successful in playing in opposition territory for much of the half. However, from there, they were unable to stop Sungoliath’s counter-attacks, especially WTB LI, and allowed several Big Gains, which led to the loss of points.

If the Dynaboars had opted to play all PGs when their opponents committed infringements in opposition territory, the score would have been 50-50. That was the way we fought in the previous section, so it was a bit close, in my opinion, although it was a bit of a result.

Now let’s start the second half.

1 minute into the second half:

After a kick-off by Sungoliath, the ball was caught by Dynaboars who kicked it back. It was caught by Sungoliath’s SO CRUDEN, who stepped from it, dodged a couple of opposition defenders and went close to the opposition in-goal. He then passed to CTB NAKANO, who followed up from behind in front of the in-goal, and NAKANO went into the enemy in-goal and scored a try in the middle left. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 24-6.

Sungoliath quickly outscored the Dynaboars with tries at the end of the first half and early in the second half.

From this point on, Sungoliath’s attacking power exploded.

7 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath scored a PG.

9 mins into the second half:

Sungoliath FB MATSUSHIMA picks up a spilled ball as the Dynaboars entered enemy territory and counter-attacked from deep in their own 22m right edge. MATSUSHIMA scored a try in the middle right of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 34-6.

17 minutes into the second half:

It was during this period that the Dynaboars finally scored their first try, after an infringement by their opponents, a PK gave the Dynaboars their own lineout on the left edge of the enemy in-goal. From here, a series of attacks developed and after 10 phases, a try was finally scored by replacement WTB BEDWELL-CURTIS at the right end of the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 34-13.

24 minutes into the second half:

Dynaboars lock URUIVITI was sent off for 10 minutes for a dangerous tackle. Immediately afterwards, Sungoliath had a lineout of their own deep on the enemy’s right flank. Here, Sungoliath moved forward in a maul attack and hooker NAKAMURA went straight over for a try in the middle right.

The conversion goal after the try failed, making the score 39-13.

27 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath attacked a maul on the left side of the enemy 22m line, which was then extended to the right, where Sungoliath substitute CTB MORIYA rolled in an excellent golo punt into the enemy in-goal, which was held by No.8 TATAFU for a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 46-13.

41 mins into the second half:

Towards the end of the match, Sungoliath made a series of attacks deep in enemy territory. The Dynaboars showed some dogged defence and after 16 phases of successive attacks, Sungoliath substitute WTB KAWASE scored a try in the left corner of the opposition’s in-goal. In the second half of each of the last three matches, Kawase showed his decisiveness by scoring tries in three consecutive matches.

The conversion goal after the try failed, leaving Sungoliath as the winners of the match with a final score of 51-13.

Sungoliath lost their opening game, but have since come into their own with five consecutive wins. In the next round, the Fuchu derby against Tokyo Brave Lupath is scheduled.

In contrast, the Dynaboars, who lost today, will host the Kobe Steelers at home in the next round – can the Dynaboars hold on?

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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Teikyo University vs Waseda University

(Author: Azul, January 29, 2023)

The National University Rugby Championship has finally reached its final. So far, only two schools have survived. Teikyo University, last season’s champions, and Waseda University, who lost in the quarter-finals last season. Coincidentally, both schools belong to the Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group, and this season was the second time they faced each other in an official match.

The last time the teams met was on 7 November, when the final score was 49-17, a complete victory for Teikyo University in terms of content.

Waseda University, having been completely defeated in the FW game, could hardly attack and lost to Teikyo University with a score difference of more than 30 points.

Two months later, Waseda University reached the final of the University Championship after winning close matches against teams with stronger FW than themselves, Toyo University, Meiji University and Kyoto Sangyo University. Will Waseda University be able to humiliate Teikyo University in this day’s match?

Let me now introduce you to the latest news from both teams.

First, an update on Teikyo University.

Teikyo University started the University Championship with a 50-0 win over Doshisha University in their first match. In the semi-finals, they faced Tsukuba University, and although they conceded a try to Tsukuba University in the first half of the match, they were able to keep the score one-sided after that, with the final score of 71-5, a record-breaking victory in the history of the University Championships.

Teikyo University’s opponents in the final, Waseda University, are expected to attack in the same way as Tsukuba University, so Teikyo University’s players must be getting a feel for how to respond.

Here is the Teikyo University starting line-up for the day.

Teikyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shota TAKAI	171cm	112kg	22
2	Hayate ERA	171cm	100kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
3	Taro UESUGI	176cm	113kg	20
4	Takuma MOTOHASHI	194cm	116kg	20
5	Masahiro ERIGUCHI	186cm	108kg	22
6	Keito AOKI	187cm	110kg	20
7	Akito OKUI	177cm	103kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
8	Shuto NOBUHARA	182cm	100kg	20	U-18 JAPAN
9	Kumusu LEE	174cm	80kg	20
10	Mikiya TAKAMOTO	172cm	82kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
11	Tomu TAKAMOTO	182cm	88kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
12	Chihiro MATSUYAMA	173cm	88kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
13	Kanji FUTAMURA	180cm	88kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
14	Shinya KOMURA	180cm	92kg	20
15	Taiki YAMAGUCHI	176cm	83kg	21

Teikyo University has been a constant member of the team since the University Championship except for FB TANINAKA, who was injured in the semi-final and had to sit out the match.

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊

(Player on the right in the photo is TAKAI)

Shota TAKAI. 171 cm, 105 kg, 22 years old. Position = prop. Graduated from Jyosho Gakuen High School. Supports the scrum of Teikyo University, which boasts the No.1 student rank. Not only does he push in the scrum, but he is also a fast 50 m runner with a speed of 6.7 seconds. The front row of the scrum is supported by a giant of a man weighing over 100 kg, who can run freely and is a threat to the opposing team.

Next, an update on Waseda University.

Since entering the University Championships, Waseda University has won a series of games against opponents boasting powerful FWs. However, it is not possible to strengthen the scrum all at once in a short period of time, so Waseda University’s basic strategy for the Teikyo University are as follows.

(1) Develop the ability to withstand being pushed in the scrum to the extent that they do not collapse.

(2) Compete and win in a tight battle.

(3) Use the ground widely and launch a series of development attacks.

Waseda University’s traditional style of play is development rugby, but in the semi-finals, Tsukuba University used the same tactics, but suffered a heavy defeat when their defence was broken down. Waseda University’s leaders saw this, so it is thought that they will add some kind of innovation.

Waseda University’s starting line-up on the day was as follows.

Waseda University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shota IMOTO	165cm	98kg	22
2	Kenji SATO	177cm	108kg	20
3	Shotaro KAMEYAMA	176cm	115kg	20
4	Tomoki MAEDA	179cm	103kg	22
5	Daiki IKEMOTO	186cm	105kg	20
6	Masahiko SAGARA	180cm	99kg	21
7	Bunsuke KURITA	183cm	110kg	19
8	Jingo MURATA	185m	102kg	20
9	Masanori MIYAO	165m	70kg	20
10	Daisuke ITO	179cm	85kg	21	U18 Japan
11	Reo MATSUSHITA	183cm	93kg	21
12	Ko YOSHIMURA	175cm	84kg	22
13	Soma OKAZAKI	177cm	89kg	21
14	Eito MAKI	175cm	88kg	22	U18 Japan
15	Satoshi KOIZUMI	178cm	86kg	22

＊＊ Player to watch **.

Ko YOSHIMURA. 175 cm, 84 kg, 22 years old. He is a graduate of Higashi Fukuoka High School. In the semi-final, YOSHIMURA scored a PG in a close game against Kyoto Sangyo University, which boasts a strong FW, and was able to win because of his ability to keep the game close. In the final against Teikyo University, it is extremely difficult to score a try against the staunchly defensive Teikyo University, but it is possible to induce infringements by the opposition when deep in enemy territory. YOSHIMURA will need to play a vital role if Waseda are to defeat the reigning university champions, Teikyo University.

Let’s kick off the final match.

2 minutes into the first half:

Waseda University drops the ball just after the kick-off. This allowed Teikyo University to attack deep into enemy territory at once. As the game was just getting underway, Waseda’s defenders had plenty of strength, but Teikyo University did not miss this great scoring opportunity. Teikyo University attacked down the right flank from a series of attacks, with SO Takamoto using his individual skills to fend off four or five men and score the first try in the middle on the right. He also scored the conversion goal himself after the try, making the score 7-0 to Teikyo.

11 minutes into the first half:

Waseda University again were crossed their own 22m line and were attacked by Teikyo University, but they managed to escape the difficulty by winning the ball back in front of goal.

After a brief scramble for the ball, Teikyo committed an infringement and were finally able to penetrate deep into enemy territory. This led to a scrum, but Teikyo University’s scrum was so strong that Waseda University had to re-group several times. Waseda University managed to hold on to this own ball scrum and deployed the ball. Waseda’s first attack saw CTB OKAZAKI make a gain, which led to a tight battle, from where the second attack took place, SO ITO received the ball and drew some opponents to him, WTB MAKI ran in from the opposite side, broke through Teikyo University’s defence and scored a try right under their goal posts. He scored an important try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and Waseda University tied the score 7-7.

17 minutes into the first half:

After the try, Teikyo University kicked off and again Waseda missed a catch, allowing Teikyo to launch a series of attacks deep into enemy territory. Teikyo University deployed the ball to the left and as they attempted to make further progress, Waseda University’s WTB MAKI made a strong tackle, causing Teikyo University to drop the ball unexpectedly. Waseda University’s SO ITO picked up the ball and kicked it deep into enemy territory. The Teikyo University BK ran back to secure the ball and tried to kick it out, but Waseda University lock MAEDA charged and the ball rolled into the Teikyo University in-goal, but Teikyo University managed to hold the ball and escape the danger.

Teikyo University then again attacked into Waseda’s territory, but Teikyo University committed an offside infringement here, giving Waseda University a chance to take the ball deep into enemy territory and have a lineout of their own.

Waseda University showed the sign play they had been preparing for at this point. From the lineout on the right side, the ball was spread to the left and passed from the hooker to SO ITO, who threw a long pass to WTB MATSUSHITA, who ran to the left edge of the lineout and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 7-12 to Waseda University. The crowd cheered loudly, and it was only at this time that it became clear that Waseda University had a large number of fans.

22 minutes into the first half:

From the kick-off immediately after Waseda University’s try, Teikyo University continued to attack in the Waseda camp. Occasionally, they regained the ball densely and tried to kick their way into the opposition’s territory, but as a result, Teikyo University gradually made progress in Waseda’s ranks. Once Teikyo University crossed the enemy 22m line, they let their breakthrough FW players have the ball and approached the opponents’ in-goal. Finally, flanker AOKI leapt over the Waseda defenders just below the goal posts to score a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-12 and Teikyo University took the lead again.

27 minutes into the first half:

In a scrum in the centre of the ground, Waseda University were infringed for collapsing the scrum. Here, Teikyo University’s SO TAKAMOTO advanced his side deep into the opposition 22m line from the PG. From here, from a lineout on their own ball, Teikyo University moved to the left and No.8 NOBUHARA easily slipped in the ball and scored a try right under the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 21-12.

40 minutes into first half:

From the earlier try, Waseda University held firm and did not allow Teikyo University to score any more points until the end of the first half. Waseda University came close on several occasions, but their decisive passes were blocked by Teikyo University’s defense.

Waseda University continued to attack into enemy territory, but a high punt upfield was contested and the ball was picked up by Teikyo University. From deep in their own half, Teikyo University went down the left flank and SH LEE connected with WTB TAKAMOTO, who then ran past the Waseda defenders and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful and Teikyo University ended the first half with a score of 28-12, 16 points ahead of Waseda University.

At the end of the first half, Teikyo University had a big lead and were in control of the flow. However, Waseda University also put on a show on several occasions in the first half, and even managed to turn the tables once. Can Waseda get back into the game in the second half? Or will Teikyo University crush Waseda University as they did against Tsukuba University in the semi-finals?

The start of the second half.

3 minutes into the second half:

Early in the second half, Waseda University opted for a PG from a Teikyo University not-release-the-ball infringement slightly to the left of the enemy 10m line. This was a difficult position, more than 40 metres from the goal posts. Normally, at this point difference, the team would have opted for a penalty kick and gone for a try from a lineout deep in enemy territory. However, taking into account Teikyo University’s defensive performance in the first half, it was probably agreed within the team that they would go for a PG score if they were infringed, in enemy territory.

CTB YOSHIMURA succeeded in this, making the score 28-15.

6 minutes into the second half.

Around this time, Teikyo University players began to gradually overwhelm Waseda University in one-on-one contact play. Once Teikyo University entered enemy territory, each player made an advance and then made a series of attacks connecting passes to the next player. In response, Waseda University’s defence could no longer keep up and finally Teikyo University prop UESUGI scored a try in the middle on the right side in-goal area. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 33-15.

8 minutes into the second half:.

Immediately after this try, Waseda University made a change of players and positions.

FB KOIZUMI replaced by NONAKA.

NONAKA moved to SO and SO ITO changed position to FB.

This formation was adopted to strengthen Waseda University’s attack after entering the University Championship. Teikyo University naturally knows this tactic in advance, so the focus will be on how they respond.

11 minutes into the second half:

The game resumes with Waseda University kicking off after a try. Waseda University knocked on and it was Teikyo University ball near the 10m line in the Teikyo University camp and Teikyo University developed from there and in the third attack, the ball was passed to SO TAKAMOTO. From there, Takamoto lifted a short punt and caught it himself. From there, he made a personal move with a pass dummy and other individual skills, and went all the way forward to score a try right under the goal posts. He also scored the conversion goal after the try himself, making the score 40-15 to Teikyo University.

18 minutes into the second half:

Teikyo University’s offensive and defensive pressure began to overwhelm Waseda University at this time.

At the set piece scrum, Teikyo University pushed in so hard that Waseda University could not get the ball out properly. Eventually, Waseda University managed to get the ball out, but when the ball was released, Teikyo University’s FL OKUI went to catch Waseda University’s SH MIYAO, where the pass was intercepted and Teikyo University’s OKUI scored a try in the middle right of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 47-15.

Teikyo University scored four more tries in the 24th, 30th, 35th and 40th minutes of the second half to take the score to 73 points, better than Tsukuba University in the semi-final.

In contrast, Waseda University scored one try in the 39th minute of the second half by WTB MAKI, who intercepted a Teikyo University pass in front of his own in-goal, but MAKI’s try was not a systematic attempt to break down the opposition, and there was no smile on his face after the try. However, Maki proved to be one of the fastest WTB of his generation.

The final score of the University Championship final was 73-20, with Teikyo University breaking the record for most points scored in a final.

The strength of Teikyo University this season showed a difference in strength, as if a team of university students and a team of professionals were playing against each other. The university champions, Teikyo University, have seen favourable conditions, with many high school students with excellent qualities joining the team every year. However, Meiji University and other universities with similarly talented material coming in seem to have a difference in terms of player development in that they are completely outclassed by Teikyo University. It is thought that the development of Japanese rugby will lead to the future development of Japanese rugby if universities other than Teikyo University compete with Teikyo University in friendly rivalry.

＊＊　Jersey collection 71　＊＊

2007 Rugby France replica jersey, second jersey from the 2007 RWC. Sold on Yahoo Auctions for ¥7,200. It is a new used item. If possible, I wanted to bid less than 4,000 yen, but the price went up due to a bidding war with other bidders. However, the market price of rugby jerseys has been rising recently, and jerseys that were previously sold for around 3,000 yen are now more than twice as expensive. For the sellers, this is a pleasant phenomenon, but for the buyers, it’s a bit tough!

Match 1: Kyoto Sangyo University vs Waseda University

Match 2: Teikyo University vs University of Tsukuba

(Author: Azul, January 16, 2023)

The University Rugby Championship reached its semifinals on January 2, 2023. The results of the quarterfinals (12/25), which preceded this one, are as follows

(1) Waseda University vs. Meiji University: 27-21

For the second year in a row, Waseda vs. Meiji, a matchup that divides the popularity of university rugby in two, was played in the quarterfinals. Last year, Meiji beat Waseda.　However　Waseda won the quarter final this season.

(2) Tsukuba University vs Tokai University: 20-17

Tsukuba University, ranked 5th in the Kanto University Rivalry Rugby group, and Tokai University, ranked 1st in the Kanto Intercollegiate League match Group, were pitted against each other, but Tsukuba beat Tokai in a crazy match.

(3) Teikyo University vs. Doshisha University: 50-0

For the second year in a row, the two schools met in the quarterfinals. After losing to Teikyo by a wide margin last year, all eyes were on Doshisha to see if they could make up for their loss, but Teikyo, the defending champion, came away with another convincing victory.

(4) Kyoto Sangyo University vs. Keio University: 34-33

　　Kyoto Sangyo University, ranked No. 1 in the Kansai University League, was challenged by Keio University, ranked No. 4 in the Kanto University Rugby Rivalry group.  Keio put up a strong fight, and the match was close, but Kyoto Sangyo University prevailed.

The University Championship semifinal match was held at the National Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

The pairings for the semifinals played on that day were as follows.

** Game 1: Kyoto Sangyo University vs. Waseda University

(Kansai University A League 1st place vs. Kanto University Rivalry Group 3rd place)

＊＊Game 2 : Teikyo University vs Tsukuba University 

(1st place in Kansai University A League vs 3rd place in Kanto Intercollegiate Tournament Group)

(1st place in Kanto University Rugby Rivalry group vs. 5th place in Kanto University Rugby Rivalry group)

Looking at the teams that made it to the semifinals this season, the strength of the Kanto University Rugby Rivalry group was noticeable. Of the four teams that made it to the semifinals, three were from the Kanto University Rugby Rivalry group, with only the defending champion, Teikyo University, showing any outstanding strength. The semi-finals and finals will be the highlight of the tournament to see which team will be able to prevent Teikyo University from winning again.

Let me now introduce the two teams that will play in today’s first match.

First, let me introduce Kyoto Sangyo University Rugby Club.

Kyoto Sangyo University won the Kansai University A League this season with an undefeated record. The results of this season’s matchups are as follows.

Date	Name		Name	score
9/18	Kyoto Sangyou University	ｖｓ	Kansei Gakuin University	69-19
9/25	Kyoto Sangyou University	ｖｓ	Setunan University	70-26
10/16	Kyoto Sangyou University	ｖｓ	Kansai University	99-15
10/30	Kyoto Sangyou University	ｖｓ	Ritsumeikan University	54-14
11/6	Kyoto Sangyou University	ｖｓ	Doshisya University	31-26
11/20	Kyoto Sangyou University	ｖｓ	Tenri University	29-22
12/3	Kyoto Sangyou University	ｖｓ	Kinki University	39-18
12/25	Kyoto Sangyou University	ｖｓ	Keio University	34-33

The Kyoto Sangyo University Rugby Club is characterized by its strength in contact play. It also traditionally has a reputation for strength in the scrum. In recent years, the team has invited former Japan national team SO Keizi Hirose and former Japan national team CTB Yukio Motoki to join the coaching staff, and has also been refining the decisiveness of the BK.

This day’s starting lineup were as follows.

Kyoto Sangyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Sanshiro NOMURA	177cm	103kg	22
2	Soonhong LEE	173cm	100kg	20
3	Ryu WATANABE	176cm	108kg	20
4	Solomone L. FUNAKI	186cm	115kg	20
5	Asaeli LAUSI	190cm	111kg	20	U18 Japan
6	Hayato FUKUNISHI	178cm	100kg	22	U18 Japan
7	Kosei MIKI	174cm	95kg	20	U18 Japan
8	Togo TAKAMOTO	172m	90kg	21
9	Asahi DOEI	170m	70kg	19
10	Hayato NISHINAKA	172cm	84kg	22
11	Hiroto NISHI	169cm	80kg	20
12	Kenta IEMURA	177cm	93kg	21
13	Ryosei TAKAI	176cm	82kg	21
14	Sione POLUTELE	184cm	110kg	19
15	Hayata TSUJINO	177cm	86kg	20

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Asaeli LAUSII. 190 cm, 113 kg. 20 years old. Position = Lock. Graduated from Japan Aviation Ishikawa High School. He is a native of Tonga and a member of Japan’s U-18 national team. He is a key player of Kyoto Sangyo University’s hard contact rugby team. When he gets close to the enemy’s in-goal, it takes two or three men to stop his rush. The winner of this match will depend on Waseda’s ability to stop this player at key points.

Next up is the Waseda University Rugby Team.

Waseda’s record so far this season are as follows.

Date	Name		Name	score
9/10	Waseda University	ｖｓ	Aoyama　Gakuin　University	38-8
9/18	Waseda University	ｖｓ	Tsukuba　University	23-17
10/2	Waseda University	ｖｓ	Nihon　Taiiku　University	102-0
10/23	Waseda University	ｖｓ	Rikkyo　University	31-7
11/6	Waseda University	ｖｓ	Teikyo　University	17-49
11/23	Waseda University	ｖｓ	Keio University	19-13
12/4	Waseda University	ｖｓ	Meiji　University	21-35
12/11	Waseda University	ｖｓ	Toyo　University	34-19
12/25	Waseda University	ｖｓ	Meiji　University	27-21

In this season’s the Kanto University Rivalry Rugby group, they were outplayed by the top-ranked schools, Teikyo and Meiji. However, since entering the University Championship, Waseda’s main players who had been out due to injury returned to the team, and in the game on 12/11, the team won a comeback against Toyo University, which, like Kyoto Sangyo University, has international students as the core of its strong frontline. Furthermore, in the match on 12/25, Waseda was able to defeat Meiji University, which had suffered a complete defeat in the match three weeks earlier. Waseda has clearly improved their team strength. Can they beat Kyoto Sangyo University, the Kansai area champion?

This day’s starting lineup were as follows.

Waseda University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Taiga KAWASAKI	171cm	106kg	21	U18 Japan
2	Kenji SATO	177cm	108kg	20
3	Shotaro KAMEYAMA	176cm	115kg	20
4	Tomoki MAEDA	179cm	103kg	22
5	Daiki IKEMOTO	186cm	105kg	20
6	Masahiko SAGARA	180cm	99kg	21
7	Bunsuke KURITA	183cm	110kg	19
8	Jingo MURATA	185m	102kg	20
9	Masanori MIYAO	165m	70kg	20
10	Daisuke ITO	179cm	85kg	21	U18 Japan
11	Reo MATSUSHITA	183cm	93kg	21
12	Ko YOSHIMURA	175cm	84kg	22
13	Soma OKAZAKI	177cm	89kg	21
14	Eito MAKI	175cm	88kg	22	U18 Japan
15	Satoshi KOIZUMI	178cm	86kg	22

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

(The player on the far left in the photo is Masahiko SAGARA.)

Masahiko SAGARA is 180cm, 99kg, 22 years old. He is the captain of the Waseda University rugby team. He was injured in the match against Keio University on 11/23 and returned to play in the University Championship match against Meiji University on 12/25. He is the spiritual pillar of Waseda and a key player in the FW. He also experienced the first place in Japan University Championship as a FL three years ago. Can they beat Kyoto Sangyo University and advance to the final of the University Championship?

Let the match begin.

Three minutes into the first half:

Waseda University kicked off to start the game. Kyoto Sangyo University developed from their own area, and Waseda’s defenders got involved and knocked the ball on. This led to a scrum in which Kyoto Sangyo University had the ball in their own territory. Kyoto Sangyo University has traditionally featured strong scrums, so a strong push was expected, but surprisingly it was Waseda University who pushed over. Kyoto Sangyo University was fouled here for intentionally collapsing the scrum. Here, Waseda’s CTB YOSHIMURA attempted a PG, but failed. The score was 0-0.

9 minutes into the first half:

Kyoto Sangyo University entered the enemy territory and gradually advanced with a series of attacks led by the two foreign student locks of LAUSI and FUNAKI. Then, at a great position 10 meters directly in front of the goalposts in the enemy territory, they drew a foul on Waseda University and had a PG opportunity. Kyoto Sangyo University’s SO NISHINAKA scored the first goal for Kyoto Sangyo University. The score was 3-0.

15 minutes into the first half:

Kyoto Sangyo University developed to the left from its own ball scrum and was caught by Waseda University’s defenders, where they formed a dense group, but Kyoto Sangyo University was infringed in the dense group.

Here, Waseda University opted for the PG. This time, the position of the PG was about 20 meters to the left, slightly off the goal post. Waseda’s CTB YOSHIMURA succeeded in this PG, and the score was tied 3-3.

20 minutes into the first half:

Kyoto Sangyo University had a chance to scrum for their own ball deep beyond the enemy 22m line due to a foul by the opponent. WTB Polutele, Kyoto Sangyo University’s leading scorer, took the ball out of the scrum, ran straight up the field, bounced off two opponents, and dragged them both over for a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right. In this situation, Waseda University knew POLUTERE was going to rush in here, but they could not stop him. It was an impressive breakthrough. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-0.

23 minutes into the first half:

Kyoto Sangyo University was getting better and better. Kyoto Sangyo University’s WTB POLUTELE was again active 5 meters in front of the Waseda in-goal on the right side of the field. He dragged two Waseda defenders behind him and fell into the right center of the in-goal, but Waseda University stopped the grounding of the ball at the very last moment.

26 minutes into the first half:

At this time, Waseda University dominated the ball in a series of densely contested battles in the enemy territory. The ball was then deployed near the 10-meter line near the enemy’s left flank, and Waseda’s No. 8 MURATA dodged two Kyoto Sangyo University defenders and scored a try in the middle of the in-goal on the left side.

Waseda University also succeeded in scoring the conversion goal after the try, tying the score at 10-10. This game has become a seesaw game, with Kyoto Sangyo University scoring and Waseda University quickly regaining the lead.

30 minutes into the first half:

Waseda University did not let go of the momentum they had once gained. Kyoto Sangyo University attacked Waseda University near their own in-goal, but Waseda University picked up the spilled ball in a dense formation and connected through FW and BK, taking the ball 5m before the enemy’s in-goal at once. Waseda University formed a tight group from the lineout, and WTB MAKI ran into the side of the group and scored a try on the right side of the goal post to make the score 10-15. Waseda University succeeded in reversing the score. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-17.

First half 38 minutes into the first half:

Kyoto Sangyo University was able to get the ball in the hands of Waseda University in a tight battle for the ball, and a penalty kick was awarded after a foul by the opponent 30 meters from the goal post. The score was 13-17 when SO NISHINAKA of Kyoto Sangyo University scored.

The first half ended with the score at 13-17.

Both teams showed their strengths, and the game was a good contest between the best of the best. Expectations are high for what kind of tactics both teams will show in the second half.

2 minutes into the second half

From the start of the second half, the spirit of Kyoto Sangyo University was evident as the FW and BK worked in unison to pass the ball forward at every point of contact with Waseda University. With three meters to go, Kyoto Sangyo University’s lock RAUSI leaped over the Waseda defense and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Kyoto Sangyo University was back on top again with the score 20-17.

10 minutes into the second half:

From the kick-off after the try, both teams kicked each other. Kyoto Sangyo University caught the kicked ball and tried to counter attack from their own area. Kyoto Sangyo University continued to make contact in the dense battle and gradually advanced. Then, in front of the goal post in the Waseda University camp, 25 meters away, Waseda University committed a Not Role Away foul, and Kyoto Sangyo University opted to go for the PG. Kyoto Sangyo University chose to go for the PG, and SO NISHINAKA of Kyoto Sangyo University made the PG to make the score 23-17, a six-point difference.

14 minutes into the second half:

Kyoto Sangyo University scored a series of goals and increased pressure at the point of contact, advancing again deep into enemy territory. Waseda University tried to kick their way out from deep in their own territory, but were unable to do so due to Kyoto Sangyo University’s kicking charges and other problems. Then, from a scrum deep in their own territory, Waseda University developed to the right and the ball was passed to Waseda University’s WTB MATSUSHITA, who was running along the side line. Kyoto Sangyo University’s defense caught MATSUSHITA for a moment, but MATSUSHITA shook it off and got behind the enemy defense. He then passed the ball to the SH MIYAO,who made a huge gain toward the enemy goal posts, and at the end, MIYAO dodged two chasing Kyoto Sangyo University defenders and scored a try on the right side of the enemy goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Waseda University succeeded in making the score 23-24.

24 minutes into the second half:

Both teams began to show signs of fatigue, and minor mistakes became noticeable. Both teams launched a series of attacks, but in the process, it became noticeable that both teams were handing the ball over to their opponents due to mistakes. At this point, Kyoto Sangyo University drew a scrum collapsing infringement from Waseda University at the 10-meter line. At this point, Kyoto Sangyo University opted to go for the PG.

SO NISHINAKA scored. The score was 26-24, and Kyoto Sangyo University took the lead again.

27 minutes into the second half:

After a lineout in their own territory, Kyoto Sangyo formed a maul, and a knock-on foul was committed, giving Waseda University the right to attack. From there, Waseda University continued to attack, and SO Itoh used his individual skills to get past the Kyoto Sangyo University defense and scored a try in the middle on the left of the in-goal area. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 26-31.

Waseda University’s SO ITOH showed his U-18 JAPAN qualities with a sharp cut-in play in the opposite direction from his top speed.

Furthermore, in the 34th minute of the second half, Waseda University scored a PG to make the score 26-34, an 8-point difference. Considering the time remaining, it looked as if Waseda University would be able to run away with the game.

37 minutes into the second half:

In the final minutes of the match, both teams exchanged long kicks. However, NONAKA, who had come on as a substitute SO, made a tragic kicking error, and Kyoto Sangyo University had a chance to take the ball out on their left side near the Waseda University 22-meter line. This gave the momentum to Kyoto Sangyo University, which has three international students who can be strong breakthrough players. Kyoto Sangyo University connected the ball with an offload pass from lock LAUSI to another lock FUNAKI, and finally LAUSI dragged three opposing defenders to the right side of the goal post in enemy territory to score a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 33-34, with Kyoto Sangyo University within one point.

With about 2 minutes remaining, Kyoto Sangyo University was in a position to make a comeback if they could score a PG at the enemy’s ball. After a kicking battle between the two teams, Kyoto Sangyo University FB TSUJINO launched a counter attack, dodging 5 men with a divine step, only to commit a grievous knock-on foul. Finally, it was a scrum in Waseda University’s ball, and ITOH kicked it out to end the game. Waseda University won a close game, treading on thin ice at the end.

Waseda University will play in the finals with the winner of the second match of the semi-final.

This was followed by the second game of the day.

The pairings are

Teikyo University (Kanto University Rivalry Rugby group 1^st rank) vs.　

University of Tsukuba (Kanto University Rivalry Rugby group 5^th rank)

Now, let me introduce both teams.

First, let’s start with Teikyo University.

The winner of last season’s University Championship. This season, they will try to win the championship again.

Their records of this season are as follows.

	Teikyo University
Date	Name		Name	score
9/11	Teikyo University	ｖｓ	Rikkyo University	88-0
9/17	Teikyo University	ｖｓ	Aoyama Gakuin　University	52-0
10/2	Teikyo University	ｖｓ	Tsukuba　University	45-20
10/16	Teikyo University	ｖｓ	Nihon　Taiiku　University	129-6
11/6	Teikyo University	ｖｓ	Waseda　University	49-17
11/20	Teikyo University	ｖｓ	Meiji　University	29-13
12/3	Teikyo University	ｖｓ	Keio University	39-18
12/25	Teikyo University	ｖｓ	Doshisya　University	50-0

Teikyo University is undefeated this season with 8 consecutive wins. All of their victories have come by overwhelming their opponents, and not a single game has been a hard-fought battle. Teikyo’s game plan is characterized by the fact that from the beginning to the end of the match, they go all out, and there is almost no time to cut corners. It will be interesting to see if any team will be able to prevent Teikyo from winning again this season.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows.

Teikyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shota TAKAI	171cm	112kg	22
2	Hayate ERA	171cm	100kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
3	Taro UESUGI	176cm	113kg	20
4	Takuma MOTOHASHI	194cm	116kg	20
5	Masahiro ERIGUCHI	186cm	108kg	22
6	Keito AOKI	187cm	110kg	20
7	Akito OKUI	177cm	103kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
8	Shuto NOBEHARA	182cm	100kg	20	U-18 JAPAN
9	Kumusu LEE	174cm	80kg	20
10	Mikiya TAKAMOTO	172cm	82kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
11	Tomu TAKAMOTO	182cm	88kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
12	Chihiro MATSUYAMA	173cm	88kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
13	Kanji FUTAMURA	180cm	88kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
14	Shinya KOMURA	180cm	92kg	20
15	Kippei TANINAKA	178cm	78kg	22

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Takuma MOTOHASHI is 20 years old, 194cm,116kg. He is a graduate of Kyoto Seisho High School. He has been a regular since his freshman year at Teikyo University, the reigning university champion. He is still growing in height, and if he continues to build a strong body, it is not impossible for him to make the long-awaited Japan national team player. However he is only a second-year student, he is expected to continue to play an active role and support Teikyo University in the future.

Next, let me introduce the University of Tsukuba University Rugby Club.

Tsukuba University’s record for this season is as follows.

	Tsukuba University
Date	Name		Name	score
9/11	Tsukuba University	ｖｓ	Meiji University	22-33
9/18	Tsukuba University	ｖｓ	Waseda University	17-23
10/2	Tsukuba University	ｖｓ	Teikyo University	20-45
10/16	Tsukuba University	ｖｓ	Keio University	12-16
11/5	Tsukuba University	ｖｓ	Aoyama Gakuin　University	38-14
11/19	Tsukuba University	ｖｓ	Rikkyo University	43-17
12/4	Tsukuba University	ｖｓ	Nihon Taiiku University	79-5
12/11	Tsukuba University	ｖｓ	Tenri University	50-22
12/25	Tsukuba University	ｖｓ	Tokai University	20-17

They gained University Championship, and have advanced to the semi-finals of the University Championship by defeating Tenri University, the second-ranked team in Kansai, followed by Tokai University, the first-ranked team in the Kanto University League Group. It can be said that the team has improved and won more and more as the season has deepened.

Today’s starters for the University of Tsukuba are as follows.

Tsukuba University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yusaku KIHARA	176cm	108kg	22
2	Koki HIDA	178cm	104kg	22
3	Daisuke KURASAKI	179cm	105kg	21
4	Kenkichi YANAGAWA	188cm	100kg	21
5	Ryuto YAGISAWA	188cm	108kg	22
6	Kodai Sean YOKOMIZO	187cm	88kg	20
7	Kotaro NARAMOTO	171cm	92kg	22
8	Hayata TANIYAMA	184cm	95kg	21	U-18 JAPAN
9	Takuya SHIRAE	164cm	69kg	21
10	Kanjiro NARAMOTO	178cm	84kg	18	U-18 JAPAN
11	Naoki IMOARAI	171cm	83kg	21
12	Hinata HORI	173cm	80kg	20
13	So MATSUSHIMA	173cm	81kg	21
14	Ryo HAMASHIMA	175cm	70kg	19
15	Kenshin TAKADA	173cm	78kg	21

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Kanjiro NARAMOTO. 178 cm, 84 kg, 18 years old. He is a graduate of Higashi Fukuoka High School and a member of the U-18 Japan national team. He was selected as SO for this important match for Tsukuba University, even though he is a freshman. Moreover, the SO of his opponent, Teikyo University, is Takamoto, the No. 1 student SO. The ups and downs of this match will depend on NARAMOTO’s performance.

Let’s kick off the second semifinal match.

11 minutes into the first half:

Teikyo University is now attacking at full force as soon as the game starts. Therefore, if the opposing team is broken down from the first half, it will lead to a large number of scores at once. The tactic taken by Tsukuba University by this time was to avoid as much as possible to form a scrum, which is the set play that makes the most difference between Teikyo University and Tsukuba University.

One of Teikyo University’s winning tactics had been to dominate the scrum, draw infringements from their opponents, kick deep into the enemy territory for penalties, and from there, from the lineout, attack in a maul or deploy in a series of attacks to score more points.

However, Tsukuba committed an accidental offside foul early in the game, forcing the teams to scrum. Teikyo University kicked deep into enemy territory as planned, and from there secured the ball in the lineout. From there, Teikyo University failed to catch the ball, and a tight battle ensued, which Tsukuba won and escaped the initial pinch.

Tsukuba University’s strategy seemed to be to develop the game as they did in the match against Tokai University. In other words, the team attacked in a deployed manner throughout the match, and at the points of contact with the opponents, they fought in dense battles, and won the battles in order to advance. This tactic was based on the calculation that the team as a whole was competitive in terms of running ability.

However, although no points were scored, Teikyo University kept the game in Tsukuba’s camp from start to finish at that time, with Tsukuba University holding their own in front of their own in-goal.

The first goal was scored by Teikyo University. Teikyo University dropped a ball in a series of attacks around the enemy 22m line, but WTB Komura picked up the ball and cut in to score a try right in the in-goal, passing 4 to 5 Tsukuba defenders. SO TAKAMOTO also succeeded in scoring the conversion goal after the try, making the score 7-0 in favor of Teikyo University.

17 minutes into the first half:

Tsukuba University could calculate the score of their own ball against Teikyo University.

(1) Lineout for own ball

(2) A scrum with the ball on their own ball, and the No.8 quickly takes the ball out of play.

(3) Winning a tight battle in a dense.

The above strategies are possible. At the very least, Tsukuba University will be required to connect the ball won in this way with everyone running.

Tsukuba University entered the enemy territory from the kick-off after the try, and Teikyo University committed a Not Straight foul on a lineout throw-in around their own 22m line. At this point, Tsukuba University naturally chose to use their own lineout instead of a scrum, and secured the ball to deploy. When Tsukuba University’s SO Naramoto rolled a short punt, Teikyo’s prop committed an offside foul. Here, Tsukuba got a penalty kick, which gave them a lineout just in front of the enemy in-goal.

Tsukuba secured the ball at the lineout here, and moved forward in their own scoring pattern, a maul. Some of Tsukuba’s backs also joined the maul, and they moved further forward, but then Tsukuba moved to the left side, and the ball was passed to WTB IMOARAI on the left side.

IMOARAI dodged one Teikyo University defender and scored in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

Tsukuba University missed the conversion goal after the try, but the score was 7-5. Up to this point, the match progressed almost according to the original plan of Tsukuba.

25 minutes into the first half

Teikyo University made a series of attacks after entering the enemy territory, and came close to the in-goal. Teikyo University took advantage of this great scoring opportunity, and after several attempts to regroup, they finally scored a scrum try in the left center of the field. Teikyo University eventually scored a try from a scrum in the middle of the left field. The conversion goal after the try failed, but Teikyo University took a 7-point lead with the score 12-5.

34 minutes into the first half:

In order to break down the opponent’s day defense, Tsukuba University’s way of playing the game was to use a lot of kicks, mainly by their SO, NARAMOTO. He looked at the opponent’s formation and kicked the ball towards where his team could win and connect with the ball.

During this period, Tsukuba University’s kicks were flying where they were intended, but Teikyo’s handling after the kicks gradually improved. Teikyo’s SO TAKAMOTO found a hole in Tsukuba’s defense, ran into it, and connected the ball to flanker AOKI, who scored a try in the left center. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-5.

36 minutes into the first half:

Towards the end of the first half, Tsukuba University seemed to tire a little, and Teikyo University deployed the ball from deep in their own territory, and CTB FUTAMURA made a big gain, connecting with WTB TAKAMOTO, who scored a try at the left end of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 24-5.

37 minutes into the first half:

Teikyo University’s BK players became bolder and bolder, as if they thought the score had almost reached a safe zone. Even from deep in their own half, they stepped forward, dodged Tsukuba University players, and made gains at a dash. Teikyo University’s FB TANINAKA and SH LEE exchanged passes, and finally, SH LEE scored a try just below the goal post. Teikyo’s conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 31-5, 26 points ahead of University of Tsukuba in the first half.

42 minutes into the first half:

Tsukuba University, wanting to score somehow, brought their own scoring pattern at the end of the first half. After the kick-off, they attacked into the enemy territory and made a series of passes and advanced to the 22-meter line. There, they drew an offside foul from Teikyo University, resulting in a penalty kick. Tsukuba University kicked the penalty kick to the left side of the enemy line, near the in-goal. From the lineout in this position, they secured their own ball and tried to advance with a maul. However, the maul attack, which was Tsukuba University’s forte, was no longer working. The pressure from Teikyo University made the maul stuck, so Tsukuba University had no choice but to switch to a deployed attack. Teikyo University got the ball back in a tight battle, and Tsukuba University’s chance to score at this point of the game was gone.

Will Tsukuba lose by a large margin, or will they be able to come back in the second half of the match? We look forward to seeing Tsukuba University’s second half comeback in order to make the game more exciting.

Let the second half begin.

10 minutes into the second half:

Perhaps recovering from fatigue at halftime, Tsukuba University regained the momentum from the first half as the second half began.

After kicking deep into the enemy territory and turning to counter-attacks, the teams fought densely for the ball and attacked in succession. And they avoided to scrum. For Tsukuba University, it looked as if they had Teikyo University wrapped up in their own easy way, but it was always Teikyo University who had the ball and launched a series of attacks. In this war of attrition, Tsukuba did not allow Teikyo scoring until 10 minutes of the second half, when Teikyo University’s Lock Motohashi scored a try in the middle right of the in-goal in Tsukuba’s territory. After the try, the conversion goal failed, and the score was 36-5.

Immediately after the try, Teikyo University changed three players at once.

Hooker ERA → FUKUI

Lock MOTOHASI → ASUI

CTB MATSUYAMA → GOTO

Teikyo University’s strength also lies in their depth of players, and the players who came on in the second half were stronger than the starters. They are truly Impact Players.

14 minutes into the second half:

After the match resumed, both teams kicked each other again, and Tsukuba University tried a counter attack. However, University of Tsukuba’s No.8 TANIYAMA committed a knock-on foul. This allowed Teikyo University to get into the enemy territory, and got the chance to my-ball scrum, and Teikyo University pushed forward and won the scrum one-sidedly. Teikyo University’s CTB Futamura received the ball, accelerated quickly, shook off three opposing defenders, and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

Teikyo University also succeeded in scoring the conversion goal after the try, making the score 43-5.

From Teikyo University’s own ball scrum, as the game started, the overwhelming difference in power pushed Tsukuba University’s FW one-sidedly, making it impossible for the FW to back up the BK line, and as a result, powerful Teikyo University BK players ran all over the ground and scored a try in a short period of time. This is what Tsukuba University feared. Up until this time, Tsukuba University had been able to reduce the number of scrums, and the game had proceeded according to the original plan, but they still could not stop Teikyo University.

23 minutes into the second half:

Tsukuba University had a great scoring opportunity to attack from a lineout in front of the enemy goal after a foul by their opponents, but it was no longer enough for Teikyo University. Tsukuba could not make any progress, and Teikyo University turned over the ball in a tight battle. Teikyo University connected with a series of attacks and went deep into the enemy territory, and CTB Goto scored a try in the right center of the enemy in-goal at the end. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 50-5.

Teikyo University then scored in the 26th, 35th, and 38th minutes of the second half, making the final score 71-5, a victory by a wide margin. For Tsukuba University, it was a bitter experience, as Teikyo University came on to their game plan, but were completely overpowered in their strong points.

Teikyo University’s opponent in the final, Waseda University, is expected to challenge Teikyo University with a deployed attack, just like Tsukuba University in this match, but how will Waseda University stand up to Teikyo University, which shows no flaws in both FW and BK? We look forward to a good match worthy of the finals.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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Tokyo Sungoliath vs Kubota Spears

(Author: Azul, December 27, 2022)

On December 17, 2022, the 2022-2023 season of Japan Rugby League One began.

To kick off the season, let’s take a look back at the standings of the teams from last season: The League One standings for the 2021-22 season are shown in the table below.

2021-22	League One Order
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP
1	Tokyo Sungoliath	14	2	0	66
2	Saitama Wildnights	14	2	0	61
3	Kubota Spears	12	4	0	58
4	Tokyo Brave Lupas	11	5	0	53
5	Toyota Verblitz	10	6	0	46
6	Yokohama Eagles	10	6	0	45
7	Kobe Steelers	7	9	0	36
8	Shizuoka Blue Revs	5	11	0	27
9	Black Rams Tokyo	4	12	0	21
10	Shining Arks Tokyo Bay	4	12	0	18
11	Red Hurricanes Osaka	3	13	0	14
12	Green Rockets Tokatsu	2	14	0	14
	WP=Winning Point

After the league season ended, the top four teams played off.

• Play-Off Tournament

** Semi-Final

1)Tokyo Sungoliath vs Tokyo Brave Lupas: 30-24

(Winner: Tokyo Sungoliath)

2)Saitama Wildnights vs Kubota Spears: 24-10

(Winner: Saitama Wildnights)

** Final

Saitama Wildnights vs Tokyo Sungoliath: 12-18

(Winner: Saitama Wildnights)

As a result, the winner of League One for the 2021-2022 season was the Saitama Wildnights, who were undefeated in actual competition, with two losses in league play due to the new corona outbreak. The focus of League One will be on which team will beat the Wildnights.

The lower teams in Division One of League One then played the top teams in Division Two in a substitution match, with the following results.

	Promotion or Relegation Deciding Match
D1/D2
1St	Green Rockets Tokatsu	vs	Mie HONDA Heat		30-10
2nd	Mie HONDA Heat	vs	Green Rockets Tokatsu		24-22
Winner:	Green Rockets Tokatsu
1St	Shining Arks Tokyo Bay	vs	Sagamihara Dynaboars		25-33
2nd	Sagamihara Dynaboars	vs	Shining Arks Tokyo Bay		33-19
Winner:	Sagamihara Dynaboars

Note: The Kintetsu Liners, who finished first in Division 2, were automatically promoted to the next round. And as a result of the round-robin matches, the following teams were selected

Green Rockets Tokatsu, ranked 12th in D1, remained in D1, and Honda Heat, ranked 2nd in D2, was not promoted and remained in D2.

Sagamihara Dynaboars, ranked 3rd in D2, was promoted to D1, and NTT Shining Arcs, ranked 10th in D1, was relegated to D2.

The NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes, who finished 11th in D1, were relegated to D3 after their team was temporarily disbanded at the end of the season.

I then went to watch one of the first-round games of League One, Suntory Sungoliath (2nd place last season) vs. Kubota Spears, at Tokyo Stadium (aka Ajinomoto Stadium) in Chofu, Tokyo, on December 18.

Ajinomoto Stadium is the stadium where the opening match of RWC 2019 took place, so coming here reminds me of the frenzy I was in back then.

The following year, RWC 2023 will be held in France, so I believe that rugby will gradually become more popular in Japan. The number of paying visitors on that day was 10,842.

I would like to introduce both teams that will play today.

First, we would like to start with Visitor Tean, KUBOTA Spears.

They finished 3rd in League One last season, and this season, they are capable of winning the championship.

Spears’ slogan for this season is “Split Second. This slogan means to give one’s all in each and every moment.

Their 1st jersey is orange color, and the Spears supporters are called the Orange Army.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows.

KUBOTA
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kota KAISHI	172cm	102kg	28	Japan　1cap
2	Malkolm Marx	189cm	117kg	28	South Africa　57cap
3	Shoya MATSUNAMI	186cm	110kg	30
4	Ruan Botha	205cm	120kg	30
5	David BULBRING	199cm	113kg	33
6	Peter Labuschagne	189cm	106kg	33	Japan　14cap
7	Takeo SUENAGA	178cm	98kg	28
8	Faulua Maikisi	187cm	112kg	25	Japan　5cap
9	Shinobu FUJIWARA	171cm	76kg	23
10	Bernard Foley	182cm	89kg	33	Australia　75cap
11	Haruto KIDA	176cm	90kg	23
12	Harumichi Tatekawa	180cm	93kg	32	Japan 55cap
13	Sione Teaupa	183cm	97kg	30	Japan 3cap
14	Koga Nezuka	173cm	82kg	24	Japan　1cap
15	Gerhard Van Den Heever	192cm	102kg	33	Japan　5cap

As you can see from the table above, Spears has a strong FW, the No.1 team in League One in terms of average height and weight of FW. This season, the Spears are particularly focusing on strengthening their defense, aiming to play rugby with fewer goals scored.

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Bernard FOLEY. 182 cm, 89 kg, 33 years old. Australia national team cap 79. position = SO. selected for RWC 2015 and 2019. In his third season with the Spears, I expect him to combine well with his teammates to create a spectator-pleasing game.

Now, let us introduce Suntory Sungoliath, the home team of this game.

Last year, they finished second in League One. The meaning of the team name includes Sun=Sun and Goliath=Giant. The team’s slogan for this season is “SunGoliath Pride -All for Victory,” and they are aiming for their first championship in five seasons. The team’s style of play is explosive attack and thick defense. Last season, the team’s 577 total points was by far the highest of all the teams.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows

	Sungoliath
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yukio MORIKAWA	180cm	112kg	29	Japan　2cap
2	Shunta NAKAMURA	176cm	105kg	28	Japan
3	KanNAKANO	177cm	108kg	25
4	Tom SAVAGE	197cm	118kg	33
5	Harry HOCKINGS	206cm	118kg	24
6	Koji IINO	190cm	110kg	28	Japan　1cap
7	Kai YAMAMOTO	177cm	98kg	22
8	Tevita TATAFU	183m	124kg	26	Japan　14cap
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	73kg	25	Japan　10cap
10	Hikaru Tamura	175cm	80kg	29
11	Tevita Li	182cm	95kg	27
12	Keisuke MORIYA	185cm	93kg	28
13	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	25	Japan　5cap
14	Shota EMI	183cm	95kg	26
15	Kotaro MATSUSHIMA	178cm	88kg	29	Japan　46cap

＊＊ Player to watch　＊＊

Shogo NAKANO. 186 cm, 98 kg, 25 years old. Position = CTB. Japan national team 5cap. Graduated from Waseda University. He has international standard physique and speed, and is a promising star of Japan’s national BK team. He is a member of Sungoliath, a team that has a strong group of players, so he has had few opportunities to play at CTB, but this season, he will be responsible for Sungoliath’s progress as an unshakable CTB.

Let’s follow the match of the day.

7 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath boasted the best attack in League One last season, and in the early stages of the match, Spears showed a defensive prowess that was no match for their attack. Spears showed a strategy of going for the PG once they got into the opposition’s territory and gained an infringement. In the 7th minute of the first half, Spears’ SO Foley scored the first PG from a position slightly to the right of the 10-meter line.

FOLEY followed this up with another PG in the 11th minute of the first half to make the score 0-6 in favor of Spears.

21 minutes into the first half:

The Spears’ orange wall stood in the way of Sungoliath’s best attackers in League One. Until this time, Sungoliath could not score, or rather, could not even cross the gain line due to Spears’ strong defensive network. This was a bit of a surprise.

Spears went deep into the enemy territory, and after a long pass from FB Van den Heever to WTB NEZUKA at the right end, NEZUKA scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal. The try was scored in the right corner of the in-goal. The conversion attempt failed and the score was 11-0, giving Spears a big lead.

25 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath, perhaps thinking it would be difficult to get a try past the Spears’ defensive net, infringed on their opponents as they entered enemy territory and opted to go for the PG without hesitation. Sungoliath’s SO Tamura scored to make the score 3-11.

31 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath, hoping to close the gap somehow, deployed from deep in their own territory, and WTB EMI tried to break through. However, as he got past a man, he was held by Spears prop KAISI and was penalized for not releasing the ball. The Spears elected to go for the PG, which the SO FOLEY converted to make the score 3-14.

35 minutes into the first half:

In the same position as in the first 25 minutes, Sungoliath got a PG and the SO TAMURA scored to make the score 6-14. However, Sungoliath fans expect a raging attack in every game, so this was a stressful game for them.

Spears has outscored Sungoliath in set pieces this season. In the scrums, Spears steadily pushed Sungoliath and put pressure on Sungoliath in the lineouts.

With the first half ending with this score, can Sungoliath regain momentum in the second half?

Let’s get the second half underway.

2 minutes into the second half

Spears started the second half by going deep into the opponent’s territory, pushing and winning at almost every point of contact against Sungoliath, and after a series of attacks, the ball was passed to Spears’ WTB KIDA on the left flank, who played off a Sungoliath defender and scored a try in the left corner of the opponent’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 6-21.

9 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath’s attack started to show their typical style. They entered the enemy territory and attacked in succession, with FB MATSUSHIMA making a big gain at the left site, and from there a dense battle ensued. No.8 TATAFU of Sungoliath accelerated quickly, overtook the pursuing No.8 MAKISI of Spears, and scored a try right under the goal post of the opponent’s in-goal. The stadium was abuzz with excitement as Japan’s national team players showed great effort at every turn. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 13-21.

The instantaneous acceleration of Sungoliath’s No.8 TATAFU was amazing. He is indeed the No.8 of the Japanese national team.

19 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath tried to activate their attackers by breaking through their own line as well. But once again, Spears’ orange wall cut off Sungoliath’s attackers. Here, Spears had their own ball scrum deep in enemy territory, where they applied heavy pressure and drew a collapsing foul from Sungoliath. The SO FOLEY made the score 13-24 with a PG from the scrum.

24 minutes into the second half:

The teams kicked to each other, and when Sungoliath’s SO TAMURA had trouble handling the kick, he was caught by the Spears’ FW, and from the crowd that formed here, the Spears took the ball to the left. Spears’ SO FOLEY received the ball and, seeing a breakdown in the opponents’ formation, kicked to the left side of the opponents’ in-goal. This turned out to be an excellent kick pass to Spears’ left WTB KIDA, and KIDA scored a try in the left corner of the opponents’ in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 13-31 in favor of Spears. The WTB KIDA scored his second try of the day.

36 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath, outnumbered on the scoreboard, made several attempts to break through the Spears defense, but each time their attacks were cut short by a bounce off the Spears flanks. Nevertheless, Sungoliath continued to push forward in the enemy territory, and came close to the opponent’s in-goal. On the right side in front of the enemy’s in-goal, Sungoliath got a scrum on their own ball, and at the moment the ball was released, FB OZAKI, who came in as a midway replacement, scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 18-31.

KUBOTA SPEARS won the opening game of the season with a final score of 18-31, marking the first time in 18 years that KUBOTA has defeated SUNTORY. SPEARS, however, won today’s match, and the team’s improvement from last season has paid off, as they are now serious contenders to win the championship this season.

On the other hand, Sungoliath’s offensive power from last season hardly worked against SPEARS this season. It is thought that Sungoliath is greatly outclassed in physical ability. Will they be able to get revenge in the next rematch (April 22)?

＊＊　Jersey Collection 69　＊＊

This Sungoliath baseball shirt was distributed to the first 12,300 people in attendance at the SUNTORY Sungoliath’s opening game on December 18.

This shirt is a new experiment in that it also has the sponsor’s name on the back. I was able to get a free seat for 2,000 yen on this day, so I felt like I was getting a little something out of it. I also attended Sungoliath’s opening game last season, but there was no such service at that time, and I hope that the League ONE teams will expand such fan services to increase the number of rugby fans. I hope that the League ONE teams will expand these fan services to increase the number of rugby fans, and I believe that this will lead to the strengthening of the Japanese national rugby team.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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(Author: Azul, December 19, 2022)

On December 11, 2022, I went to watch the 3rd round match of the National University Rugby Championship held at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

The matches played on this day were

Waseda University vs Toyo University

(Kanto University Rivalry Rugby group 3rd place vs Kanto University League group 3rd place)

The Rugby University Championship has entered the third round, and the top-ranked schools in the major leagues have begun to play each other. This will be followed by intense tournament play until the finals on January 8. For each team, a loss in the championship match means the end of their season. We look forward to a heated and exciting match in every game as they aim for the top of the University Championships.

Now, let me introduce each team competing in the day’s matches.

First, let me introduce the visiting team, Toyo University.

This is Toyo University’s first appearance in the University Championship, and this season they have not only been promoted from the second division of the Kanto University League Group to the first division for the first time in 29 years, but have also advanced to the University Championship by defeating one strong school after another in the first division. In addition, three players were selected as one of the best 15 players in the Kanto University League Group. Every game this season for Toyo University has been a new history for the university.

Today’s starters are as follows:

Toyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Taiga Yamaguchi	168cm	106kg	21
2	Tatsuki TANINA	175cm	101kg	22
3	Makito ISHIKAWA	185cm	115kg	19
4	Lamin Dieng SAITO	185cm	102kg	22
5	Juan Oost HUYZEN	211cm	135kg	20
6	Vea TANIELA	183cm	120kg	22
7	Sho TANAKA	185cm	100kg	25
8	Shu UMEMURA	183m	100kg	21
9	Yusaku KANDA	170m	80kg	23
10	Fumiya DOBASHI	180cm	86kg	21
11	Kaito SUGIMOTO	170cm	75kg	20
12	Sho OHSHIMA	166cm	72kg	21
13	Shuta SHIGEMATSU	171cm	85kg	22
14	Maurice MARKS	180cm	85kg	21
15	Kohei TANAKA	183cm	91kg	21

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊

Lamin Dieng SAITO. 185 cm, 102 kg, 22 years old. He is a graduate of Meguro Gakuin High School. Position = lock. Captain of Toyo University, which has made great strides this season. He is of Senegalese descent. He often makes his presence felt in the lineout by stealing the ball from his opponents. He is also an agile player who is as fast as a BK, and his pressure on defense makes him a threat to opposing teams. He was selected as one of the best 15 players in the Kanto University League group this season.

Next, let me introduce the home team, Waseda University.

In contrast to Toyo University, Waseda University is a regular participant in the University Championship. It has won the championship 16 times. This season, the team lost to Teikyo University and Meiji University, and finished in third place in the Kanto University Rivalry group. But they are aiming for their first university title in two years as they grow as a team in the University Championship. This season, injuries have been noticeable among the core players, but the team’s challenge will be to get their lineup back to full strength in order to win the championship.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows:

Waseda University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shota IMOTO	165cm	98kg	22
2	Naoto YASUTSUNE	172cm	95kg	19
3	Shotaro KAMEYAMA	176cm	115kg	20
4	Shogo FUJII	180cm	100kg	21
5	Daiki IKEMOTO	186cm	105kg	20
6	Bunsuke KURITA	183cm	110kg	19
7	Hitoshi NAGASHIMa	179cm	95kg	21
8	Jingo MURATA	185m	102kg	20
9	Masanori MIYAO	165m	70kg	20
10	Kengo NONAKA	181cm	93kg	19
11	Reo MATSUSHITA	183cm	93kg	22
12	Ko YOSHIMURA	175cm	84kg	22
13	Soma OKAZAKI	177cm	89kg	20
14	Eito MAKI	175cm	88kg	22
15	Satoshi KOIZUMI	178cm	86kg	22

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Masanori MIYAO is a 165cm, 70kg SH. A graduate of Kyoto Seisho High School, he has been a regular SH player for the prestigious Waseda University Rugby Club since his freshman year. He has the ability to break through from the scrum to score tries with his agility and speed. His quick passing skills, which allow Waseda’s BK to expand in all directions, have been a lifeline for Waseda this season.

Let’s kick off today’s match.

As I expected before the match, Toyo University dominated the first half with their FW set pieces. They led their opponents into infringements in scrums and maintained their dominance in lineouts, especially with lock SAITO.

15 minutes into the first half:

Toyo’s strong FW gave them the upper hand, while Waseda pushed back with hard work on the defensive side of the field. Once Toyo got in front of the enemy’s in-goal, but Waseda got the ball back in a tight battle and kicked it back to the Toyo camp. From there, Toyo attacked again, this time to the right. The ball was passed from the densely-packed area to the SO and then to the CTB, who threw a pass. Waseda’s SH, MIYAO, who had read the flow of the pass, intercepted the ball, broke through behind the enemy defense, and scored a try right under the opponents’ goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Waseda scored the first point, making the score 7-0.

Waseda scored a valuable try in a poor game.

28 minutes into the first half:

Toyo attacked continuously from their own line. Little by little, they made their way into the enemy territory. From there, they moved to the right and Toyo’s FB TANAKA broke through two opposing defenders and advanced forward at full speed, finally passing to Toyo’s SH KANDA, who scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was tied 7-7.

39 minutes into the first half:

Toyo made progress through a set play by the FWs, who had the advantage in the first half after entering enemy territory. First, Toyo pushed their opponents forward in a scrum, and after being pushed in, Waseda couldn’t resist collapsing the scrum and were fouled. From here, Toyo opted for a penalty kick, which resulted in a lineout in front of the enemy in-goal. Toyo secured their own ball, and after a maul, they surged forward and scored a try by Toyo’s hooker TANINA. The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful. The score was 7-12, and Toyo University succeeded in turning the score around.

The first half ended as it did, with Toyo University holding the upper hand going into the second half.

As predicted by the sports media before the match, Toyo University, with its equally powerful FWs, was a formidable opponent for Waseda, which had suffered complete defeat against the powerful FWs of Teikyo and Meiji in this season’s group of competitive matches. Against Toyo University, which was pushed into the game by set plays and has a decisive BK, it will be interesting to see how they will recover in the second half.

Let us begin the second half. Waseda made a player change at the start of the second half, replacing hooker YASUTUNE with SATO. SATO, who was injured in the match a week ago, was introduced to try to rebuild the set piece.

3 minutes into the second half:

Waseda, wanting to score first in the second half, BK deployed to the left near the center of the ground. The Toyo defenders tackled and stopped them, and FL TANIELA went to steal the ball from a downed Waseda player, where he drew a foul from Waseda. Toyo’s SO DOBASHI took the penalty kick that he earned here and kicked it out to a position just before the enemy’s in-goal, a great kick. Toyo secured their own ball from a lineout, then moved forward in a maul, and hooker TANINA scored his second try of the day.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Toyo succeeded in increasing the score difference to 7-19.

6 minutes into the second half:

The tide of the game was turning in Toyo’s favor. From the kick-off after the try, Waseda entered the enemy territory, and from a scrum, the ball was passed to the SH from No.8, where CTB YOSHIMURA got close to the ball, shifted his timing, and received the ball. This allowed YOSHIMURA to get behind the enemy defense and score a try right under the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 14-19 to Waseda, pulling the game back to the other side.

10 minutes into the second half:

Waseda made a player change at this point, replacing KOIZUMI at FB with ITOH, who had been a key player in Waseda’s BK, but was making his first appearance in this match due to injury. Now, it was going to be a test to see if ITOH could be the catalyst for Waseda.

11 minutes into the second half.

Waseda had a scrum on the right side of the field, just inside the enemy territory, where they pushed past Toyo and won a penalty kick. This was the first time Waseda had beaten Toyo in a scrum in this match. The change of hooker to SATO paid off.

18 minutes into the second half:

Waseda was now able to go toe-to-toe with Toyo in the scrum. Waseda was able to supply the ball smoothly to BK from the scrums and gradually started to advance in the enemy territory. Then, in front of the goal posts in the enemy territory, WASEDA drew an infringement from their opponents and gained the right for a PG. CTB YOSHIMURA scored to bring Waseda within 2 points, 17-19.

26 minutes into the second half.

Waseda was now able to provide a steady supply of ball in the scrums, allowing them to make full use of the wide expanses of the ground in a series of attacks. The ball was spread from the right end to the left end and then to the right end again, and finally passed to WTB MAKI, who scored a try at the right end of the in-goal of the enemy line.

Waseda finally got back on top with a successful conversion goal to make the score 24-19.

33 minutes into the second half:

Waseda was able to spread the ball more freely and had more time to attack in the enemy’s territory. Toyo could no longer cope with Waseda’s speed. Waseda’s left WTB MATSUSHITA ran to the right side of the field, received the ball, and shook off the Toyo defenders to score a try in the right corner of the enemy in-goal. Waseda also succeeded in scoring the conversion goal after the try, pulling the score to 31-19.

42 minutes into the second half:

With only a few minutes remaining, Toyo tried their best to attack, but their attacks were too few and far between, and they could not get out of their own half. As the horn sounded for the last play, Waseda had a PG opportunity in front of the goal post in enemy territory. Waseda’s CTB Yoshimura converted it to make the final score 34-19 in favor of Waseda.

Waseda will now face Meiji University in the quarterfinals of the University Championships on December 25. Can Waseda University humiliate Meiji and advance to the semi-finals of the championship?

Despite the loss in this match, Toyo University added a new record to the University Championship and the history of their alma mater, not only returning to the first division of the Kanto University League group for the first time in 29 years, but also making their first appearance in the University Championship. Their success must have touched the hearts of many rugby fans, not just those associated with Toyo University. We hope to see them again on the championship stage next season. Thank you for Toyo University Rugby Club.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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