4 reasons to watch Suntory v Toyota on Premier Sports (UK)

Two of Japan Rugby League One’s heavy-hitters collide in round two in a star-studded showdown between Steve Hansen’s Toyota Verblitz and ‘Brighton Miracle’ number 10-turned head coach Kosei Ono’s Suntory Sungoliath at the 49,970-capacity Ajinomoto Stadium on Saturday.

The game will air live in the UK on Premier Sports from 5.25am (KO 5.30am) with English commentary.

RugbyJP.com has four reasons why the anticipated clash, which has a habit of producing a nail-biting and high scoring spectacle, is a must-watch for rugby fans outside Japan:

1. Three World Cup winners to start

League One is replete with World Cup winners and three will be on show at Ajinomoto Stadium - a 2019 Rugby World Cup venue - with two recently being named in World Rugby’s 2025 Team of the Year.

To date, 65 winners of the Webb Ellis Cup have graced Japanese club rugby’s premier club competition League One which replaced the precursor Top League in 2022.

Suntory’s double World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe, 32, starred for his country in the Rugby Championship and Autumn Nations and brought his scintillating international form to the opening round a week ago with a match-clinching try against Black Rams Tokyo.

Kolbe, who scored eight tries for his club last season, is a box office talent for the ages and  - in the devastating form he’s in – is well worth setting an alarm clock for to witness in full flight on a Saturday morning.

His countryman and World Rugby’s 2024 Player of The Year Pieter-Steph Du Toit, who was also named in the sport’s governing body’s XV of 2025, will line-up for the opposition.

The 33-year-old made his long-awaited return for his Aichi club in the round one victory against Franco Mostert and Pablo Matera-powered Honda Heat as he made his first appearance for Hansen and Ian Foster’s team in 587 days.

Former Stormers star du Toit typically marked his comeback and first League One outing since 5 May 2024 with a lung-busting and try-scoring display to help his team over the line against a dogged Honda side who pipped their neighbours in the corresponding fixture last season for the first time in 32 years.

Joining South Africa’s all-time great in an eye-catching line-up for international fans will be one of game’s most revered scrum-halves in 2015 World Cup winner Aaron Smith.

All Blacks centurion Smith, 37, who arrived from the Highlanders in 2023 as a marquee signing, continues to roll back the years in Japan’s top-flight.

The New Zealand legend is believed to be in the final year of his lucrative contract with Toyota and is aiming to be one of the driving forces behind a play-off charge this season after a disappointing 10th place finish (out of 12) last term.

Evergreen Smith played the full 80 minutes last weekend. 

Suntory’s new captain and 2015 World Cup winner Sam Cane, who featured throughout the club’s intensive pre-season schedule having signed off for the All Blacks in 2024, was a key figure in their opening game.

However, the ex-Chiefs flanker, whose playing time in Japan has been limited by injuries, does not feature in Ono’s matchday 23 for round two.

2. Both sides are undefeated

Suntory sits second in the table after their season-opening 29-15 success against TJ Perenara’s Black Rams at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.

Toyota are fourth after thwarting a Honda comeback to prevail 44-33 a week ago.

Both teams are chasing a top-six play-off spot at the end of the 18-game regular season.

Suntory finished sixth last season and were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Malcom Marx’s eventual runners-up Kubota Spears.

Toyota were below-par for the majority of the season as they suffered 13 defeats in 18 games as Hansen – who was in his first campaign as head coach after switching from a director of rugby role – tasted more losses than during his entire eight-year, 107-game tenure as the All Blacks head coach (10 losses).

3. Kazuki Himeno v Tevita Tatafu

Two of the league’s top number eight’s will be pitted against each other as Japan internationals go toe-to-toe while also competing for the same Brave Blossoms jersey at the 2027 World Cup.

Toyota captain Kazuki Himeno is one of the faces of Japanese rugby.

His stature is illustrated by the fact that he has captained his country and his club and is integral to the fortunes of cash-rich Toyota.

Himeno, 31, has endured multiple injury setbacks in recent seasons including a hamstring injury which ruled him out from January to April last season.

Japanese media have been clamouring for him to return to the Brave Blossoms fold, constantly needling Eddie Jones, much to his chagrin. 

Himeno missed Japan’s home summer series against Wales due to injury and was struggling for fitness ahead of the Pacific Nations Cup and Autumn tour.

The former Teikyo University standout, who has represented Japan at the 2019 and 2023 tournaments, issued a reminder of his ability and leadership qualities as he crossed for the opening try in round one and delivered a tenacious performance.

Meanwhile Japanese powerhouse Tevita Tatafu has returned from two impressive seasons in France with European champions Bordeaux.

The Tonga-born human wrecking ball, who played 46 games for his French employers, gained international notoriety for his barnstorming display for Japan against the British and Irish Lions in 2021, a game in which he came on as a replacement at the same time as Himeno.

Tatafu has returned to Suntory to bolster his World Cup ambitions after surprisingly being overlooked by Eddie Jones for Japan’s busy 2025 calendar.

The 29-year-old, who made his Japan deubt in 2016 while he was a second-year student at Tokai University, has been frozen out having last played for his country in the November 2024 Test against England. 

Tatafu made an immediate impact on his return as he surged over the line from close range for Suntory’s first try of the new season in front of his national team head coach who was casting his over proceedings in Tokyo.

4. Witness Japan’s new generation take centre stage

Eddie Jones has blooded a mix of young and newly-qualified foreign-born players this year as he aims to have five top-level options in every position in time for the World Cup in his homeland.

Suntory’s new signing Shuhei Takeuchi, a number eight-turned tighthead prop, has been a revelation for the 2019 World Cup hosts.

The 28-year-old made his Japan debut in 2022 and shone in this year’s sweltering summer series against Wales as well as the Pacific Nations Cup as Japan were again edged out by Fiji.

Takeuchi left last season’s basement outfit Urayasu D-Rocks in the summer with the aim of securing a contract in France but eventually signed a deal to stay in League One and join seasoned contenders Suntory.

The crowd favourite, who has all but locked down Japan’s number three jersey for the foreseeable future, played 60 minutes last week and will be a key player going forward for the Fuchu-based team.

Takeuchi’s club colleague Harry Hockings, a giant Australia-born lock, arrived in Japan during the pandemic in 2021 after leaving the Reds.

Hockings has long been identified as a potential Brave Blossom and made his debut – having qualified on residency grounds – away against Wales in the Autumn series.

Jones has spoken repeatedly about the need to develop the second-row talent pool at his disposal and Hockings was a welcome addition and bounced back from an overturned red card against Wales to help drive Japan to a season-ending win away against Georgia in Tbilisi.

Hockings, who produced an assured showing against the Black Rams, will come up against Pieter-Steph du Toit on Saturday.

The Springboks ace campaigned at lock last week and remains there for round two with Hansen and his co-head coach Foster blessed with an abundance of riches in the forwards department.

Scottish international Richie Gray, 36, misses out on the matchday squad for the second week in a row and will have to be patient for an opportunity as only three Category C players (capped by a country other than Japan) can be named in the 23.

Smith, du Toit and ex-All Blacks wing Mark Tele'a are ahead of Gray in the pecking order.

Toyota young gun Keito Aoki, 23, a highly-regarded flanker with nine League One caps, made an impression in round one and keeps his place against Suntory.

Known for his powerful ball carrying ability and blessed with a knack of scoring opportunistic tries, he will oppose in-form Japan international Kanji Shimokawa, 26, who has been heavily praised by Jones this year. 

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