Undefeated Saitama Wild Knights condemned reigning champions Kubota Spears to their sixth defeat this season in a 55-22 rout at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium on Friday.
In a repeat of last season’s final, which Kubota won 17-15 at the National Stadium, the unstoppable Wild Knights humiliated the overmatched League One winners who are now on the verge of failing to qualify for the post-season play-offs.
Kubota have regressed from being champions into a wildly inconsistent mid-table team despite retaining the bulk of their trophy-winning squad while All Blacks legend Dane Coles came out of retirement to replace injured Springbok counterpart Malcolm Marx and Welsh full-back was a big-money addition.
The fortunes of the Wild Knights, who won the inaugural League One campaign, could not be brighter as they are undefeated this season and humbled Super Rugby’s Chiefs in the first Cross-Border series.
Kubota would point to key injuries to former Wallabies fly-half Bernard Foley, ex-Japan international and utility back Gerhard van den Heever as well as Welshman Williams, who has disappointingly but not surprisingly only started four out of 11 league games.
Kubota full-back Yuhei Shimada slotted the hosts in front with a penalty after three minutes.
Robbie Dean’s side wrestled the game away from the champions who then failed to score for the next hour.
In-form Springbok centre Damian de Allende (below) spotted a gap just inside the Kubota half and raced up the centre to start the Wild Knights’ dominance.
A second try of the campaign for industrious de Allende was followed by wing Koki Takeyama who impressively darted over in the left corner after quick hands and quick-thinking from the Saitama side’s rampant backline.
Scrum-half Taiki Koyama was next to cross after he picked up the ball from a line out-maul and elected to go it alone five metres from the try line.
Australian-born Dylan Riley scored the Wild Knights’ fourth try of the first half after a sumptuous kick-pass over the top by Japan fly-half Rikiya Matsuda.
Full-back Takuya Yamasawa glided through a lifeless Kubota defence inside three minutes of the restart to increase their lead to 30 points.
Kubota finally enjoyed some possession but failed to trouble the scoreboard with poor decision-making costing them.
Lachlan Boshier was allowed to run from outside his 22, deep into the Wild Knights half and he effortlessly found standout Japan centre Riley (below), who is always such a willing and hard-running support player, who touched down for his 10th try in 11 games to move joint second in the top try scorer charts.
Kubota’s Hiroyuki Yamasaki crossed in the 64th minute after a pinpoint kick-pass to the left wing from Tomoki Kishioka.
The champions’ mini revival continued when replacement hooker Hayate Era scored his third try in only his third appearance for the club.
Teikyo University graduate Era has been a promising discovery in a bleak season for the Funabashi team.
The Wild Knights extended their lead through replacement fly-half off Kyohei Yamasawa before Takuya Yamasawa grabbed his second to inflate the score to 55-15.
Kubota’s Tonga-born number eight Asipeli Moala pounced on a loose ball on the try line in the 82nd minute for his first score for the club.
The Wild Knights host Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars on Saturday 6 April in Saitama while Frans Ludeke’s side face once-beaten Toshiba Brave Lupus on Sunday 7 April at Chichibunomiya. Pictures courtesy of Saitama Wild Knights
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