Dave Rennie and Ardie Savea’s Kobe Steelers win first League One title

New All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie and former World Player of The Year Ardie Savea signed off from Japanese rugby by leading Kobe Steelers to the League One title as they beat Kubota Spears 22-13 on Sunday.

All Black-laden Kobe, who were led by talismanic captain and player of the match Brodie Retallick, proved to be too strong for Frans Ludeke’s Kubota side who were missing World Player of The Year Malcolm Marx who was ruled out with a biceps injury. 

Kubota have now suffered back-to-back defeats in the final as Rennie, in his third season in charge, delivered the club’s first title since 2018 in front of 50,451 fans at Tokyo’s MUFG Stadium (National Stadium).

Rennie, who took over for the third League One season in 2023-24, follows in the footsteps of countryman Dave Dillon who led the Hyogo side to the Top League title in 2018 in a similarly star-laden team which featured MVP Dan Carter and then-Wallabies wing Adam Ashley-Cooper.

The former Wallabies head coach led Kobe to a fifth-place finish in his first year in charge and while they occupied the same position in the league a year later, the expanded play-off tournament (top six) saw them fall in the semi-finals to eventual winners Toshiba Brave Lupus before beating Saitama Wild Knights in the third-place play-off.

This season Kobe finished top of the table after 18 rounds and routed Suntory Sungoliath 69-23 in the semi-finals an 11-try demolition a week ago.

Kubota finished third and negotiated two tricky play-off assignments to reach the final. They beat Richie Mo’unga’s defending champions 26-3 in the quarter-final and edged past Saitama Wild Knights 26-24 in a bruising encounter last Sunday.

The Funabashi-based side lost Marx and Japan back-rower Tyler Paul to injuries while Kobe were able to pick the same full strength 15 who brushed aside Sam Cane and Cheslin Kolbe’s Suntory side with ease.

Perennial League One contenders Kubota made a bright start with the energetic full-back Shaun Stevenson probing and threatening to unlock Kobe’s defence.

Outgoing ex-Wallabies fly-half Bernard Foley, 36, broke the deadline after 16 minutes with a straight forward penalty before Kobe’s Lee Seung-sin restored parity three minutes later.  

Favourites Kobe lost young inside-centre Tali Ioasa, 21, who joined the club from Hastings High School at the age of 18 in 2023, to an injury with veteran and countryman Michael Little introduced after 20 minutes.

Foley, who will be a free agent this summer, nudged his team in front with his second penalty before converting Brave Blossoms prop Keijiro Tamefusa’s short-range drive to extend their lead to 13-3.

New Japan call-up Inoke Burua gave Eddie Jones a reminder of his finishing ability when he held off Kubota centre Rikus Pretorius to spectacularly finish in the corner after 29 minutes. The Fiji-born wing dived over for his 15th try of the campaign which was converted by Lee.

Japan’s first choice fly-half kicked another penalty on the stroke of half-time to tie up the scores at 13-13.

The Kobe-born playmaker picked up where he left off as he put his team ahead for the first time with a penalty after 43 minutes before slotting one more nine minutes later.

Kobe’s scrum started to creak after 127kg Japan prop Opeti Helu, who sidestepped Damian McKenzie to score on his Brave Blossoms debut in 2024, was introduced after 52 minutes.

Rennie reacted by replacing veteran hooker Ash Dixon, 37, who was playing in Japan’s second division last season, and prop Shigure Takao with Kenta Matsuoka and Sho Maeda respectively.

With a lead of six points, and Savea becoming increasingly prominent, Kobe were able to maintain possession as the 70-minute mark approached.

Kubota needed inspiration from somewhere and Stevenson stepped up as he burst forward from the edge of his own 22 and jinked his way past two Kobe defenders.

The former Chiefs star before found livewire wing Haruto Kida whose grubber kick through eluded Kubota’s replacement scrum-half Bryn Hall who was unable to regather the ball five metres from the try line.

Kobe soaked up pressure from Kubota as the clock ticked down and sealed the title with a fifth penalty from Lee for for a famous 22-13 victory.

Kubota’s Frans Ludeke said: “What an amazing contest and event to be part of. First half we was getting there and we was converting opportunities. Second half it came down to some big moments. I’m really proud of our performance. We will learn from this and come back better prepared.

“We lost the breakdown battle but it was close. We never stopped playing. We conceded penalties and got pinned back in our own half. Kobe deserved to win. That’s finals rugby.” 

Kobe (1-15): Shigure Takao, Ash Dixon, Hiroshi Yamashita, Brodie Retallick (c), Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Tiennan Costley, Ardie Savea, Waisake Raratubua, Itsuki Kamimura, Lee Seung-sin, Inoke Burua, Tali Ioasa, Anton Lienert-brown, Kazuma Ueda, Shunsuke Uenobo 

Replacements: Kenta Matsuoka, Sho Maeda, Jiwon Gu, Naohiro Kotaki, Solomone Funaki, Daiki Nakajima, Bryn Gatland, Michael Little

Kubota (1-15): Yota Kamimori, Hayate Era, Keijiro Tamefusa, Merwe Olivier, David Bulbring, Akira Ieremia, Takeo Suenaga, Faulua Makisi (c), Ippei Okada, Bernard Foley, Haruto Kida, Yuya Hirose, Rikus Pretorius, Koga Nezuka, Shaun Stevenson

Replacements: Rikuto Fukuda, Kazuki Kato, Opeti Helu, David Van Zeeland, Lappies Labuschagné, Bryn Hall, Atsushi Oshikawa, Halatoa Vailea