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Completely black Brodie Retallick may not be recognized for his try-scoring habits, but the Kobelco Kobe Steelers Skipper looms as one of his team’s most powerful threats, entering the battle undefeated Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo on weekends Japan Rugby League One action.
Richie Mo’unga’s defending champions might have opened their title defense with two confident wins, but Kobe arrived in town on Sunday with their Test forwards in top form; Retallick and Scotland whore George Turner each had started the new season with successive tries.
It is territory not entirely unfamiliar to Retallick, known to all as ‘Guzzler’, who helped himself to seven tries in his first season with Kobe during the last Top League, at one point playing five games in a row where he crossed the border. goal line.
Turner’s reunion with his old boss in Glasgow, ex-Chiefs and Wallabies coach Dave Rennie, has been no less successful, suggesting the two international strikers will be a major obstacle if Brave Lupus registers a tenth win after their last twelve chasing competitions.
Brave Lupus’ one-off denial during this series was last season’s dramatic 40-40 draw against Kobe, Japan’s highest-scoring draw ever.
Fixture
Japanese Rugby League One
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
Kobelco Kobe Steelers
The weekend starts on Saturday and the pressure gauge is already showing a step higher in terms of pre-season fantasies Tokyo Sungoliath and Toyota Verblitz, who both enter the third round after losing their first two matches.
Steve Hansen’s men won the corresponding match 27-20 last year, but with it being only the second time Verblitz have defeated Sungoliath in their last 22 meetings, last season’s outcome offers no reason for confidence.
In the afternoon we also see the still pointless pair Yokohama Canon Eagles And Urayasu D-Rocks head to Fukushima, as Black Rams Tokyo takes on the ominous task of attempting to create a Saitama wanted knights team that has lost just once in the league’s regular season.
In the final of the quartet of matches on the first day of round three, Kwagga Smith’s undefeated Shizuoka travel to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars.
Mie Honda Heat opens the proceedings on Sunday against Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay, in conditions so remarkable that they would have been unthinkable this time a year ago.
Kieran Crowley’s charges go into the match undefeated against an opponent who outscored them 75-0, on 11 tries, in the first of the two matches between the sides last season.
It was the biggest win in Spears history.