Lomano Lemeki: Dawid Kellerman is a big game player

Mie Honda Heat full-back Lomano Lemeki was not surprised to see centre cum fly-half Dawid Kellerman kick an 82nd minute penalty from long range to complete an impressive double over champions Toshiba Brave Lupus.

Evergreen Lemeki, 37, who has represented his adopted country at the 2019 and 2023 World Cup tournaments as well as the Rio 2016 Olympics, saw Sunday’s game as a make-or-break game for Kieran Crowley’s visitors.

“Toshiba are the back-to-back champions and our season was on the line,” Lemeki told RugbyJP.com.

“They boys enjoy playing against them, they’ve got so much class at the club, it feels really good to come out on the winning side.”

Toshiba’s back-to-back MVP Richie Mo’unga slotted a 77th minute penalty from in front of the sticks to the nudge the champions 22-21 in front.

Japan-qualified Kellerman, 25, who joined Honda from the Bulls in 2022, missed his first shot from distance but had one more chance in injury-time and boldly decided to go for the posts.

“He kicks those all the time in training, he never gets them (laughs).

“Dawid is a big game player, I knew he’d get it when he got a second chance. It was never in doubt for me. As soon as he struck it I knew.”

Lemeki, who himself is one of the most versatile players in the competition, believes that Kellerman is a classy player whether he’s employed in his regular outside-centre position or in his new fly-half role.

“It’s a hard one, he’s generally a centre, he’s a 13, but as you’ve seen, he’s looked really good playing at 10 as well. He’s just a good all round footy player, it doesn’t matter what number he has on his back, he has great awareness on the park.”

The win for improving Honda condemned Mo’unga’s misfiring side to a sixth consecutive loss but crucially they remain in sixth-place and occupy the final play-off berth.

Honda - whose talent-rich squad also includes captain and double World Cup winner Franco Mostert, Los Pumas star Pablo Matera and Fiji captain Tevita Ikanivere - are in ninth place and are six points behind Sunday’s victims from Fuchu.

Lemeki and co. are still fighting for a place in the post-season play-offs and travel to Miyagi to face Graham Rowntree’s basement outfit Urayasu D-Rocks this Sunday.

“Now that we’re on 20 points, there’s Shizuoka, Toshiba and Toyota also in the mix. We’ve got a must win game against the D-Rocks next week. If we can beat them it’s still on. The play-offs are still our goal."