1
Panasonic Wild Knights extend Canon Eagles' 14 year agony
By Matt McILraith
A stirring second half allowed Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights to retain their lead in Japan Rugby League One, while also furthering the 14-year agony for Yokohama Canon Eagles following their 51-36 defeat in Tokyo today.
The Wild Knights prevailed after an incident packed afternoon where they had prop Taiki Fujii sent off for two yellow cards, conceded a penalty try, and had to finish with uncontested scrums.
Canon had not beaten Panasonic in their last 16 attempts but might have thought that this was going to be their day when they overcame the shock of conceding two early tries, both scored by Wild Knights winger Koki Takeyama, to hit the front shortly before halftime.
Although the league-leaders had edged ahead again early in the second half, the game-changing moment came when Yokohama had a try by winger Chihito Matsui disallowed, after it had already been converted, due to the TMO belatedly intervening to rule on an early tackle on Saitama’s Vince Aso in the lead-up.
Instead of trailing 31-30, the deflated Eagles stayed eight points behind, and they rarely threatened to wrest back the initiative for the remainder of the contest.
Toshiba Brave Lupus continue to press the Wild Knights hard, following up last weekend’s draw at Saitama by prevailing in another high-scoring Fuchu Derby against Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.
The derby has been a points fest in the four years since League One began and yesterday’s instalment had the same script, with the 43-33 win by Todd Blackadder’s men producing 11 tries and a match aggregate of 76 points, 14 above the combined average of 62 from the last eight games.
In winning a tit-for-tat battle that twice saw a one-point separation, it took until the last 10 minutes for Brave Lupus to finally shake off their local rivals, with ex-Maori All Black midfielder Rob Thompson and hooker Daigo Hashimoto scoring the tries that put the game to bed.
Earlier, Richie Mo’unga scored his fourth try for the season, while Brave Lupus teammate and Japan test winger Jone Naikabula had crossed twice, taking his tally to eight which ranks him third on the season try-scoring standings.
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay are hot-on-the-heels of the defending champions, two points behind after coming from 20-3 down at halftime to beat Kobelco Kobe Steelers 25-20.
Urayasu D-Rocks were also held scoreless in the second period of the basement battle and remain bottom-of-the-table after surrendering a seven-point lead in their 44-22 loss against Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo.
The Black Rams’ win has drawn them within a point of Steve Hansen’s Toyota Verblitz on the standings after they were outgunned by fourth-placed Shizuoka Blue Revs, 33-23 at Gifu.
Verblitz have now lost four-in-a-row and dropped to 10th after Mie Honda Heat scored in the last minute to beat Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars 38-37 in today’s match at Suzuka.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Leinster player ratings vs Sharks | 2024/25 URC
3
Fissler Confidential: Leicester Tigers set sights on Orlando Bailey
4
Wales given hands off message on rising star Kane James
5
Latest Comments
I live in an unstable region, so I'm always ready for surprise curfews or my aunt dropping by uninvited to borrow some cooking oil. To protect my future from both, I swept $530,000 under the floor in Bitcoin- my emergency parachute.Well, things went downhill. Protesters filled the streets like a rowdy rave, with pepper spray in place of glow sticks. In the chaos, security personnel took my laptop and everything that wasn't bolted down. That's where I store the keys to my Bitcoin wallet. When I say I swallowed a brick, I am not kidding.I pictured myself telling my future self, who lived under a tarp, how I used to have half a million dollars but lost it since I had forgotten to encrypt my drive. "Great job, Past Me," I would be saying while heating canned beans over a candle.But fate, or possibly my guardian angel who was finally done laughing at me, intervened. During a hushed meeting with a journalist friend (we whispered like we were plotting an espionage thriller), he mentioned Tech Cyber Force Recovery. These folks were not just tech geniuses; they practically wore digital capes.I phoned, and the reassuring voice I received was so reassuring, I almost asked them to fix my love life too. They labored in their homes with the frenzy of an explosives specialist defusing a bomb. They constructed my wallet information from recovery fragments I barely remember creating. It was like magic shows where magicians extract bills from a hat, except the hat has been confiscated by the authorities.Thirteen days passed, and I received the call. My money had been returned. I was so relieved that I hugged my aunt, who naturally took the chance to request additional cooking oil.Tech Cyber Force Recovery did not just save my Bitcoin; they saved my future. And they gave me a newfound respect for proper backups and encryption. If you are in a tricky spot or just want to avoid awkward family requests during every political crisis, call them. They are the real deal and possibly part wizard, part therapist.CALL OR WHATSAPP THEM THOUGH+.1.5.6.1.7.2.6.3.6.9.7
Go to commentsI am a business woman living in the diaspora, and my desire for affection and care mirrored that of anyone else. My search for love commenced with me signing up for an online dating app, where I encountered an Asian man. Following a period of communication, he introduced me to what she described as a popular investment platform in Asia, I trusted him so much that I failed to carry out an investigation. According to him, substantial profits were being earned there, and her presentation was so compelling that it piqued my curiosity. Unbeknownst to me, I was being catfished. he provided evidence of his earnings and even sent me a watch as a token of her affection. Consequently, he gained my trust and affection, which marked the beginning of my financial losses in Bitcoin. I had complete faith in him and invested over a million US dollars. Upon recognizing the extent of my investment in this fraudulent scheme, I attempted to withdraw my profits from the investment program, as I had utilized my business capital. My requests were disregarded, and they continually requested additional funds. Frustration mounted, and my supposed partner became hostile after I ceased sending money. Seeking assistance, I discovered RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS. They assessed my circumstances and confirmed my worst fear: I had become a victim of a pig-butchering romance scam. I was disheartened, as I genuinely believed I had found love again following a difficult divorce. Fortunately, RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS specializes in recovering Bitcoin sent to fraudulent or scam wallets. After collaborating with RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS, they successfully recovered my scammed Bitcoin. They are my permanent solution for cybersecurity. I strongly endorse RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS for crypto tracing and recovery. If you find yourself in a similar situation or involved in a suspicious investment platform, contact RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS
Go to comments