Title-chasing rivals Toshiba and Suntory set to meet in Fuchu derby

Title contenders Toshiba Brave Lupus and Suntory Sungoliah will clash in the Fuchu derby on Saturday in the penultimate round of League One’s regular season at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo.

Second-placed Toshiba and third-placed Suntory, who have both booked their play-off spots – alongside leaders Saitama Wild Knights and fourth-placed Yokohama Canon Eagles – will likely meet in the semi-finals in three weeks.

Once-beaten Toshiba defeated Suntory 26-19 in round two in December in front of a record-breaking 31,953 crowd at Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu.

Both teams will learn their play-off fate next week following the final round of fixtures. 

The final league leaders will play the team that finishes fourth in the first semi-final on Saturday 18 May at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.

Division one’s runners-up will face the team that finishes third 24 hours later in the second semi-final at the same stadium. 

Both teams will be focused on earning a place in the final on 26 May at the National Stadium in Tokyo rather than featuring in the unwanted third-place play-off the previous day.

Toshiba has restored Shannon Frizell (below) to their starting line-up after the All Blacks ace was rested in their nervy 8-7 win over Honda Heat last Sunday. Fit-again captain Michael Leitch starts after featuring from the bench a week ago.

Star man Richie Mo'unga is left out of the matchday 23-man squad after returning to Japan earlier this week following the passing of his father. 

Japan-qualified inside centre Nicholas McCurran is joined by former All Black Seta Tamanivalu in midfield. 

Head coach Todd Blackadder has sprung a surprise in switching former Ospreys full-back Michael Collins from the 15 jersey to the left wing. 

Japan star Jone Naikabula, who scored two tries in four games at the World Cup, probes the right flank for Toshiba.

Takuro Matsunaga takes over full-back duties after deputising for Mo'unga at fly-half against Kobe in a high-quality display which saw him earn Player of the Match honours. 

Suntory remain without two of the biggest stars in the game as All Blacks captain Sam Cane and back-to-back World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe remain absent. 

Cane, whose back in Japan, has not featured since January after sustaining a back injury. 

Kolbe, who has been deployed on both the wing and at full-back, recovered from a hand injury to return in March but is now sidelined with a leg injury. 

Argentina’s veteran fly-half Nicolas Sanchez is among the replacements and is still waiting for his first League One start after joining in December as a free agent to replace injured Welshman Gareth Anscombe. 

Prop Yukio Morikawa makes his 100th appearance for the club while Toshiba will be determined to stop the try-scoring exploits of hooker Kosuke Horikoshi whose been a revelation with 12 tries in 14 games. 

Scrum-half Naoto Saito and flourishing young fly-half Mikiya Takamoto form an exciting half-back pairing with head coach Kiyonori Tanaka picking a Brave Blossom-laden backline. 

Vastly-experienced Ryoto Nakamura starts at inside centre with Seiya Ozaki on the right wing and Kotaro Matsushima campaigning at full-back. 

The game will be broadcast live on TV NZ+ and Rugby Pass TV.  Picture courtesy of Toshiba Brave Lupus