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Writer's pictureMark Pickering

PREVIEW: Mo'unga’s unbeaten Toshiba face Barrett’s Toyota

Two of New Zealand’s greatest ever fly-halves will collide in Japan on Saturday when Richie Mo'unga’s undefeated Toshiba Brave Lupus travel to Aichi to face Beauden Barrett’s Toyota Verblitz.


Mo'unga was the All Blacks’ starting 10 at the World Cup while Barrett played at full-back. 


Long-time Super Rugby standout Mo'unga, who led the all-conquering Crusaders to seven consecutive Super Rugby titles (Super Rugby 2017-2019, Aotearoa 2020 and 2021, Pacific 2022 and 2023), has guided Toshiba to a perfect start to the 2023-2024 season. 


The 29-year-old has 54 points to his name while teammates Shannon Frizell and Jone Naikabula have also excelled for Toshiba with five tries apiece.


Todd Blackadder’s in-form side sit second in the division one table with five wins from as many games. 


Inaugural League One champions and last season’s beaten finalists Saitama Wild Knights are top having played one game more. 


Two-time World Player of The Year Barrett, 32, has accumulated 30 points as Toyota have reformed a dream all-Kiwi half-back pairing with Aaron Smith. 


Toyota sit fifth with three wins and two defeats this term. 


The top four teams in League One’s top-flight will go to the post-season play-offs in May. 


Favourites Toshiba call on their big hitters with Warner Dearns and international teammate and captain Michael Leitch joining Frizell in the forwards. 


The visitors unveil a new midfield pairing as Nicholas McCurran, who is still waiting to make his Japan debut, partners former Toyota player Rob Thompson with Seta Tamanivalu, who was overlooked by Fiji for the World Cup, set to feature from the bench. 


Mo'unga, of course, campaigns at fly-half with the all-action Jone Naikabula on the right wing, 


South Africa’s 2019 World Player of The Year Pieter-Steph du Toit starts at blindeside flanker while Japan international Siosaia Fifita continues to make the transition from wing to inside centre. 


Japan’s Kenta Fukuda, who Smith has worked with tirelessly in training since arriving in Japan post-World Cup, starts at scrum-half with the All Blacks legend among the replacements. 


Australia’s Tiaan Falcon gets the nod at full-back while influential number eight Kazuki Himeno captains the home side. 


Line-ups:


Toshiba Brave Lupus: Matsunaga, Naikabula, Thompson, McCurran, Kuwayama, Mo’unga, Ogawa, Leitch (captain), Sasaki, Frizell, Dearns, Pierce, Makabe, Harada, Kimura


Replacements: Mori, Tamanivalu, Sugiyama, Ito, Anise, Latu, Mikami, Hashimoto


Toyota Verblitz: Falcon, Takahashi, Fifita, Lawrence, Tuidraki, Barrett, Fukuda, Himeno (captain), Tupou, Du Toit, Mapusua, Koike, Che, Hikosaka, Miura


Replacements: Okada, Maruyama, Smith, Furukawa, Nishimura, Asaoka, Shimizu, Arita


Broadcast Information:

J SPORTS 1

BS Nippon TV

J SPORTS On Demand

14.30 KO


Pictures courtesy of Toshiba Brave Lupus and Toyota Verblitz

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