Toshiba Brave Lupus return to League One duty on Saturday against fifth-placed Yokohama Canon Eagles aiming to keep pace with leaders Saitama Wild Knights by maintaining their unblemished record this season.
Todd Blackadder’s Toshiba, who finished fifth last term and narrowly missed out on the end of season play-offs, have won all six of their games this season with All Black stars Richie Mo'unga and Shannon Frizell playing starring roles.
Division one leaders the Wild Knights are the only other team yet to taste defeat in Japan’s top-flight and have played one game more than Toshiba.
Toshiba and Yokohama, who lost to the Wild Knights in last season’s play-off semi-finals, play their first League One game in four weeks after the domestic season took a break for the inaugural Cross-Border Rugby series to be staged in Japan.
The host nation was represented by the four division one play-off sides from last season as Canon Eagles gave a credible performance against a high-quality Blues side.
Super Rugby Pacific contenders the Blues defeated Canon 57-22 but there were plenty of positives and lessons to take away from the match for the Kanagawa-based side who were without their marquee names in South Africa’s double World Cup winners Faf de Klerk (knee injury) and Jesse Kriel (thumb).
Both Springboks have returned to their homeland for surgery and rehabilitation and will be sorely missed against in-form Toshiba in Tokyo.
Toshiba pair Mo'unga and Shannon Frizell have played every game for their side this season and have been instrumental in their team’s fortunes.
Mo'unga has bagged 66 points while Frizell has scored six ties and only trails Wild Knights centre Dylan Riley and Toyota winger Taichi Takahashi (both on seven).
Japan legend Michael Leitch captains the hosts who retain their all-Kiwi midfield partnership of Nicholas McCurran and Rob Thompson while Japan wing Jone Naikabula and former All Black Seta Tamanivalu are both rested.
Scrum-half Yuhei Sugiyama gets the nod ahead of Takahiro Ogawa who made his 100th appearance for the club in their win over Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith’s Toyota in their last match.
Visitors Canon have picked Japan’s Kazufumi Yamasuga and veteran South African SP Marais to fill the voids left by Faf de Klerk and Jesse Kriel.
Veteran fly-half Yu Tamura, who has 70 caps for the Brave Blossoms, holds onto his number 10 jersey to oppose Toshiba’s man of the match merchant Mo'unga despite a difficult outing against the Blues last time out.
Japan-qualified winger Viliame Takayawa, who has scored three League One tries this campaign, looked sharp in his try-scoring display against the Blues and will be one to watch at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.
Canon newcomer Rohan Janse van Rensburg (above - right), who has been drafted in as a replacement for injured compatriot Kriel, starts on the bench alongside Fiji-born wing Inoke Brua who scored 13 tries last season and has already scored five this term.
Toshiba head coach Todd Blackadder said: “Spending the match week with a strong sense of purpose is the reason we are here. I'm happy that League One is back again.
“We can appreciate the result of six consecutive wins but we are still lacking in execution and small details. In the past few games we have created chances but we have not been able to take them. That's the important moment, the important battle, and it's the difference between winning or not."
Toshiba number eight and captain Michael Leitch said: “The atmosphere in the team is really good and everyone is really excited to play after resting their bodies during the long break.
“I think we can be confident after our six-game winning streak. However, some teams improve in the second half of the season so we have to continue to grow.”
Line-ups:
Toshiba Brave Lupus: Matsunaga, Kuwayama, Thompson, McCurran, Hamada, Mo'unga, Sugiyama, Leitch (captain), Sasaki, Frizell, Pierce, Dearns, Kokaji, Harada, Makabe
Replacements: Mori, Collins, Takahashi, Ito, Anise, Latu, Mikami, Hashimoto
Yokohama Canon Eagles: Ogura, Takayawa, Marais, Kajimura, Takezawa, Tamura, Yamasuga, Mafi, Shimada, Van Dyk, Philip, Douglas, Iwaihara, Nakamura, Okabe
Replacements: Burua, Van Rensburg, Amano, Halasili, Moli, Sugimoto, Ahn, Niwai
Picture courtesy of Toshiba and Yokohama
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