Noah Lolesio wins title as Libbok’s Liners’ promotion bid fails in title decider

Wallabies fly-half Noah Lolesio inspired Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi to a 34-27 win against Manie Libbok’s title-chasing Kintetsu Liners to seal the division two championship as the beaten Osaka side also missed out on the promotion play-offs.

Newly-crowned champions Toyota Shuttles can look forward to a two-leg promotion/relegation play-off against Glenn Delaney’s Mitsubishi Dynaboars later this month.

Surprise package Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks, who survived a relegation play-off to Japan's third division against Secom Rugguts a year ago, will face Graham Rowntree’s division one strugglers Urayasu D-Rocks for a spot in Japan’s top-flight.

The Liners, the early season pacesetters in the second tier, started the day in third place after surprise promotion contenders Shimizu beat Toutai Kefu’s relegation-threatened Kamaishi Seawaves on Saturday to move into second place.

Their losing bonus point against the Shuttles moved them level on points with Shimizu (45), however, second place in the table was decided on their head-to-head results and, with a win apiece, the Sharks got the nod with an aggregate score of 43-35.

Hanazono outfit the Liners’ line-up included Springboks star Libbok, ex-All Black number eight Akira Ioane, one-cap All Black Peter Umaga-Jensen, Japan lock Sanaila Waqa and free-scoring wing Tomoya Kimura.

The talent-laden group, who are coached by an all-star team including the ex-Liners half-back pairing of Will Genia and Quade Cooper – in addition to ex-Toshiba defence coach Tai Lavea and former Māori All Blacks head coach Ross Filipo – raced out of the blocks with six wins in a row at the start of their season.

With promotion and the title in sight, the Liners faltered at a crucial stage of the season with consecutive losses to the Blue Sharks, NEC Green Rockets and today the Shuttles as their season ends in disappointment.

Shuttles playmaker Lolesio, who was overlooked for the 2023 World Cup by Eddie Jones, joined last year as a replacement for all-conquering ex-England star Freddie Burns who celebrated winning the division two title and the top points scorer and player of the year awards last season.

© Toyota Shuttles

The versatile ex-Brumbies number 10, who is aiming to return to the Wallabies fold in the inaugural Nations Championships this summer, got the better of the division’s top points scorer Libbok as the Aichi side secured back-to-back titles.

Lolesio crossed for a pivotal score at the halfway point of the second half to extend the Shuttles’ lead to nine points and added nine points with his boot to confirm top spot in the table.

Shuttles wing wizard Chance Peni dotted down for the 13th time this season as former Highlanders centre Thomas Umaga-Jensen celebrated the bragging rights over his twin brother Peter who has captained the Liners this season.

Lolesio will now come up against the Dynaboars and their outgoing fly-half James Grayson as well as Springboks international Lukhanyo Am and Japan centre Charlie Lawrence.

Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks will have it all to do in their unexpected promotion tilt with Urayasu set to unleash Springboks brute Jasper Wiese and Israel Folau whose game time has been managed in recent weeks with one eye on the relegation play-offs. Stay tuned to RugbyJP.com for full coverage of the JRLO Play-Offs