All Black Richie Mo'unga makes statement on return from bereavement

Richie Mo’unga announced his return from bereavement leave by scoring 19 points as Toshiba Brave Lupus outclassed Shizuoka Blue Revs 59-20 in the final round of Japan Rugby League One.

The All Black flyhalf’s haul included a try – among nine scored by Brave Lupus yesterday – in what was an emphatic statement in the lead-up to a semi-final against arch-rivals Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath on May 19.

Brave Lupus outclassed Shizuoka Blue Revs 59-20 in the final round of Japan Rugby League One.

The All Black flyhalf’s haul included a try – among nine scored by Brave Lupus yesterday – in what was an emphatic statement in the lead-up to a semi-final against arch-rivals Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath on May 19.

Brave Lupus have twice beaten Sungoliath already this season and will fancy their chances to notch a hattrick against an opponent who have stumbled into the playoffs after going winless through the last three rounds.

The regular season of the competition concluded in Tokyo today, being played over three days during Japan’s Golden Week holiday celebrations.

Today’s only match saw Urayasu D-Rocks set up a replay against Hanazono Kintetsu Liners from last year’s two-legged promotion/relegation series, known as the Replacement Battle, when they overpowered NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu 48-28.

The Division Two champions were convincingly beaten by Kintetsu in both legs last term.

D-Rocks’ win came at a cost, with dual code star Israel Folau, who was playing just his second game of the campaign, and only his sixth in the last two seasons, exiting after 14 minutes due to injury.

Despite losing both of their matches in Division Two’s Placement round, Green Rockets, who are coached by the Six Nations-winning ex-Wales boss Wayne Pivac, will play in the promotion series, facing the 10th-placed Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo of Division One.

Black Rams were well beaten in their dress rehearsal for the series yesterday, crashing to a 45-18 defeat against Toyota Verblitz, with the scoreline blowing out in the final 30 minutes after a try by ex-England backrower Nathan Hughes had given Ricoh a 13-12 lead.

Two of Toyota’s seven tries were scored by Aaron Smith.

The All Black scrumhalf remarkably scored in consecutive plays, with the second coming straight from the kick-off following his first try.

Such was the speed of the action, it even eclipsed that of Smith’s ex-Wallaby counterpart Nick Phipps, who scored twice in two minutes for Green Rockets.

Sunday’s other match from Division One saw Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars sign off from an encouraging campaign with a sixth win after downing Kintetsu 46-36.

Former Wallaby Quade Cooper, who will the key man for his side in the Replacement Battle, scored his second try of the season in his team’s loss, but his performance was overshadowed by opposite number James Grayson, who collected 21 points, which also included a try.

The Englishman, who switched to Japan from Northampton, ended a succesful maiden season as the league’s fourth highest point-scorer with 148.

Saturday saw wins for Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay and Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Division One.

Mie Honda Heat, who were narrowly beaten by Kobe, will play Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi in the third of the Division One/Two Replacement Battles, which start on May 18.

Hino Red Dolphins had already been crowned in Division Three, but the champions were denied an unbeaten season by Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks yesterday, falling 38-26 despite the Sharks twice being reduced to 14-men by yellow cards.

One of those was shown to the Sharks’ dual international flyhalf Lima Sopoaga, but his side overcame the disadvantage, fighting back from a 26-0 deficit after 30 minutes to win the game.

Kurita Water Gush Akishima beat Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima 38-33 in the other match from the division, earning a shot at promotion through a Replacement Battle against Division Two’s bottom side, Japan Steel Kamaishi Seawaves.