RiJ has been working back through the history of Japan tests and this week looks at the Asian Rugby Championship in 1972. RiJ wraps up round four of Top League 2012-13 and profiles Toshiba.
Enjoy the read.
Ian McDonnell lives and works in Japan. He can be contacted at ianmcdo@apost.plala.or.jp
CONTENTS
- Japan Test Match & Player History Project: The 3rd Asian Rugby Championship 1972
- Japan Rugby Top League 2012-13: Round Four
- Top League Team Profile: Toshiba
The Japan Test Match & Player
History Project
For nine years now RiJ has been documenting Japanese rugby across various levels of the game. More recently, however, RiJ has recognised the need to accurately document the history of Japanese test match rugby and the players that have represented Japan down through the years. With this in mind, RiJ has embarked on a project to write the history of Japanese international rugby, detail every test that Japan has played and profile every player that has represented Japan.
The 1972 ARFU Asian Rugby Championship
The 1972 ARFU Asian Rugby Championship was held in Hong Kong from 4-11 November 1972. This was the third championship. The seven participating teams were divided into two pools with the final between the winners of both pools. In Pool A, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Malaysia played out the pool, while Pool B was made up of Hong Kong Thailand and South Korea.
In Pool A, the Japan XV side beat Singapore 60-4 (Japan game number 82) on 4 November 1972, beat Sri Lanka 51-0 (Japan game number 83) on 6 November 1972 and then beat Malaysia 40-0 (Japan game number 84) on 8 November 1972 to top the pool and advance to the final.
In Pool B, Hong Kong won both their games to top the pool and advance to the final to play Japan.
Only the match against Hong Kong in the final is counted as an official test with caps awarded in Japanese statistics. Japan played as Japan XV in the games against Singapore, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
After beating the Emerging Wallabies 24-22 and then drawing 17-all in April, the Japan national side formed again in November 1972 for the third Asian Rugby Championship in Hong Kong. Hitoshi Oka was in his third test as head coach in what was Japan test number 37 and Japan game number 85, while centre Akira Yokoi who turned 31 in May was again captain.
Playing as Japan XV, the Japanese cruised through Pool A with easy wins over Singapore, Sri Lanka and Malaysia to make the final to face hosts Hong Kong as the full Japan national side. There was only one player making his international debut for Japan in this test in Tokyo Sanyo loosehead prop Sachio Iburi with this also being his last test. Elsewhere in the starting line-up there was quite a lot of international experience with nine players now in double figures for caps earned for Japan. In the forwards, diminutive hooker Mitsuo Atokawa at 166cm and 82kg was playing in his eleventh test while 25-year-old Ricoh blindside flanker Yoshiaki Izawa was playing in his tenth of what would be 24 tests. Meanwhile, goal-kicking openside flanker Yoshiharu Yamaguchi was playing his twelfth test.
In the backs, although a number of senior players were coming to the end of their careers, there was a wealth of the talent of this era with right wing Tadayuki Ito in his 14th test followed by the mercurial left wing Yoshihiro Sakata, inside centre and captain Yokoi and fullback Masaharu Mantani all playing in test number thirteen. Furthermore, in the halves, 25-year-old halfback Ryozo Imazato was already up to cap number 11 and he would eventually take over the captaincy after Yokoi retired while five-eighth Tadamasa Kamohara was playing his twelfth test.
Hong Kong had obviously well scrutinised the Japanese scrum in their pool games and applied considerable pressure in this area in the final. As a result, the only points Japan could manage in the first half was a lone penalty goal to Yamaguchi to take a tentative 3-0 lead into halftime.
In the second half a number of Hong Kong try scoring opportunities were nullified by the Japanese defence while tries to Ricoh No8 Yoshihiro Murata and club team mate Ito helped Japan to a 16-0 win to take their third Asian Rugby Championship title in a row. Yamaguchi completed the second half scoring with a conversion and a penalty.
The early 1970s was the Golden Period for Ricoh rugby and they supplied four players in the starting line-up in hooker Atokawa, flanker Izawa, No8 Murata and right wing Ito. Other Ricoh players to represent Japan around this period included centre Makoto Mizutani, wing Ken Aruga and fullback Iwao Yamamoto. Fullback Go Aruga who currently plays with the Suntory club is the son of Ken and they are the only father and son who have represented Japan. Ken earned 15 caps (1974-78) while Go currently has 16 caps (2006-present). Meanwhile, although Yamamoto only played the one test for Japan he would coach the national side in nine tests.
Japan XV 60 d Singapore 4, 4 November 1972, HKFC, Hong Kong. (Japan Game No.82)
Japan XV 51 d Sri Lanka 0, 6 November 1972, HKFC, Hong Kong. (Japan Game No.83)
Japan XV 40 d Malaysia 0, 8 November 1972, HKFC, Hong Kong. (Japan Game No.84)
Japan 16 – Hong Kong 0. Saturday, 11 November 1972, HKFC, Hong Kong. (Test No.37, Japan Game No.85)
Japan Rugby Top League 2012-13
Round Four
Round Four
| Date | Team | Score | Team | K/O | Venue |
| Fri, 21 Sep 2012 | NTT Com (1T) | 14-9 | Ricoh | 19:30 | Chichibu, Tokyo |
| Sat, 22 Sep 2012 | Suntory (5Ts) | 42-17 | Canon (2Ts) | 17:00 | Chichibu, Tokyo |
|
| Toshiba (5Ts) | 32-22 | Panasonic (3Ts) | 19:00 | Chichibu, Tokyo |
|
| Kintetsu (7Ts) | 48-11 | Kyuden (1T) | 17:00 | Toyota Stadium, Aichi |
|
| Toyota (2Ts) | 23-23 | Kobe (2Ts) | 19:00 | Toyota Stadium, Aichi |
| Sun, 23 Sep 2012 | NEC (6Ts) | 42-13 | NTT Docomo | 13:00 | ND Stadium, Yamagata |
|
| Yamaha (7Ts) | 53-27 | Sanix (4Ts) | 15:00 | Toyama Sports Park, Toyama |
Round Four Preview
In a night game at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Friday 14 September 2012, NTT Communications Shining Arcs play Ricoh Black Rams. NTT Comm. lost to Toshiba in round one but then caused the upset of the season so far when they beat Panasonic in round two before losing 25-19 to Yamaha in round three. On the other hand, Ricoh have had a tough start to the season losing to Panasonic in the first round and then going down to Kobe in round two and then losing 37-19 to Suntory on this ground last Friday. In the corresponding game last season these two sides played out a 33-all draw and in all likelihood this is going to be another very close encounter. Todd Clever is new at NTT Comm. this season after moving across from Suntory in the off-season and he gives the Shining Arcs lots of go forward while former Springboks centre Wynand Olivier is a game breaker in the Ricoh backline.
In the first game of a double-header at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Saturday evening, Suntory Sungoliath play Canon Eagles. Suntory are at Chichibu for the fourth week in a row after beating NEC in the first round, Kyuden in round two and Ricoh 37-19 last Friday. As the defending Top League champions with maximum points from their first three games so far this season the Sungoliath sit alone on top of the table on 15 points as the league pacesetters. Newly promoted Canon got life in Top League off to a perfect start with a four-try bonus point win over NTT Docomo in the opening round then lost to Toshiba in round two and Kobe last week. Prop Kensuke Hatakeyama is the Suntory game captain this week with Dannie Rossouw coming into the starting line-up for regular captain Shinya Makabe and he will line up against another former Springbok lock in 38-year-old Albert van den Berg.
In the second game in Tokyo, Toshiba Brave Lupus play Panasonic Wild Knights in what surely is the match of the round. Along with Suntory, Toshiba and Panasonic have been the ‘big three’ in Top League over recent seasons and this promises to be a mighty clash. Last season Panasonic won 59-25 in the rounds and then repeated the dose 37-25 in the play-off semi-finals so the Brave Lupus will well and truly have revenge on their mind. Toshiba are also playing at Chichibu for the fourth week in a row with wins over NTT Comm., Canon and NTT Docomo, whereas Panasonic beat Ricoh in their first game, surprisingly lost to NTT Com in round two before bouncing back to beat Sanix 55-15 last week. David Hill is still out with a calf strain and Ryohei Yoshida plays in the Toshiba No.10 jersey for the second week in a row while Sonny Bill Williams plays in Tokyo for the first time when he lines up in the centres for Panasonic.
In the first game of another double-header on Saturday evening, Kintetsu Liners play newly promoted Kyuden Voltex at the Toyota Stadium in Toyota city in Aichi prefecture. Kintetsu lost to Kobe in round one, beat Sanix in the second round then narrowly lost 21-17 to NEC last round. Kyuden lost to Sanix in the first week, went down to Suntory in round two and then lost 19-15 to Toyota last weekend. Kintetsu are looking to improve on their fifth placed finish from last season and that means they must come up with a win against Kyuden this round. However, despite losing all three opening games the Voltex have played with a lot of spirit with former All Blacks lock Chris Jack and Philippine international halfback James Price leading the way.
In the second game at the Toyota Stadium, Toyota Verblitz are at home to face the unbeaten Kobelco Steelers. Toyota did not have the start they were looking for in their opening game going down to Yamaha but they made up for it with hard fought wins over NEC and Kyuden over the next two rounds. Kobe had a win over Kintetsu in their first game, beat Ricoh in round two and then ground out a 19-15 win over Kyuden last Sunday. There is a long rivalry between these two sides stretching back many years and with Kobe winning 21-10 last year the Verblitz will be keen for a home victory. Five-eighth Stephen Brett and fullback Steven Yates are pivotal players in the Toyota team while Kobe are showing good early season form with the likes of No8 Pasuka Mapakaitolo a stand out.
In one of two Sunday afternoon games, NEC Green Rockets play NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes at the ND Soft Stadium Yamagata in Yamagata prefecture. NEC lost to Suntory and Toyota in their opening games but game up with their first win when they beat Kintetsu 21-17 last Sunday, whereas NTT Docomo are struggling to find form early in the season losing convincingly to Canon, Yamaha and Toshiba. NEC finished fourth on the table last season and they are capable of repeating that finish again this season but they cannot afford to let their guard down against NTT Docomo this round. Even this early in the season the pressure is mounting on the Red Hurricanes as three heavy losses sees them sit on the bottom of the table with no points to show for their efforts.
In the other Sunday game, Yamaha Jubilo play Fukuoka Sanix Blues at the Toyama Sports Park in Toyama city in the prefecture of the same name. Yamaha are one of four unbeaten sides after three rounds of the new season and they will be looking to keep that record intact against the Blues. Jubilo have beaten Toyota, NTT Docomo and NTT Comm. and with fullback Ayumu Goromaru in good form with the boot, Sanix cannot afford to give away penalties in their own half. On the other hand, Sanix had a positive start to the new year with a win over Kyuden in the opening round then lost to Kintetsu and Panasonic over subsequent weeks. Sanix five-eighth Hiroshi Tashiro has also been an effective kicker over the early rounds and so this game could well be decided in the end by the boot.
Round Four Wrap-up
After the fourth round of the 2012-13 Japan Rugby Top League season played on the weekend of 21, 22 and 23 September 2012, Suntory Sungoliath sit on top of the table as the only team with a maximum 20 points followed by Toshiba Brave Lupus and Yamaha Jubilo who are also still unbeaten on 18 points. Kobelco Steelers are still unbeaten after their draw with Toyota on the weekend and they sit on 15 points to round out the top four. They are followed by Panasonic Wild Knights and Kintetsu Liners on 11 points from NEC Green Rockets and Toyota Verblitz on 10 points. NTT Communications Shining Arcs are in ninth place on nine points from Canon Eagles on six points and Fukuoka Sanix Blues on five points ahead of three teams without a win. Kyuden Voltex have three points thanks to picking up bonus points, while Ricoh Black Rams have one point and NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes are still yet to open their account in the new season.
In a night game at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Friday 14 September 2012, NTT Communications Shining Arcs beat Ricoh Black Rams 14-9. NTT Comm. chalked up their second win of the season after beating Panasonic in round two but it rubbed salt into the Ricoh wounds who have now lost all four opening games. In a close game with only one try scored, either side still had a chance of taking the win right down to the final whistle but in the end it was the Shining Arcs that came out on top. The respective goal kickers in NTT Comm. five-eighth Yoshio Kimishima and Ricoh centre Yoshimitsu Kawano traded shots at penalty in the first half with Ricoh taking a 6-3 lead into halftime. However, a try to rookie wing Yusuke Ogawa in the fifth minute of the second half and two subsequent Kimishima penalties got NTT Comm. out to a 19-6 lead by the twenty-third minute. Ricoh had trouble breaking the NTT defence all night but a third penalty to Kawano in the 37th minute left the door open for a come-from-behind win but in the end it never happened.
In the first game of a double-header at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Saturday evening, Suntory Sungoliath beat Canon Eagles 42-17. Suntory were at Chichibu for the fourth week in a row and as the defending Top League champions with maximum points from their first four games so far this season the Sungoliath sit alone on top of the table on 20 points as the league pacesetters. Newly promoted Canon gave it their best shot but as other teams have found out this season they had their work cut out matching it with Suntory over 80 minutes of rugby. The Eagles started the ball rolling with Philippine international centre Tim Bennett touching down in the third minute of play but after that first half tries to wing Hirotoki Onozawa and lock Koji Shinozuka saw the sides go to the sheds with Suntory leading 21-10. Suntory continued to turn the screw in the second half with further tries to centre Koji Taira, lock Danie Rossouw and Tusi Pisi sealed the win before Bennett finished the scoring with his second try late in the piece.
In the second game in Tokyo, Toshiba Brave Lupus beat Panasonic Wild Knights 32-22 in what was the unofficial match of the round. Last season Panasonic won in the rounds and then repeated the dose in the play-off semi-finals so the Brave Lupus well and truly had revenge on their minds as they came out on top scoring five tries to three. Even the presence of Sonny Bill Williams in the centres for Panasonic was not enough to help the Wild Knights against a determined Toshiba who definitely brought their ‘A’ game to Chichibu. Two first half tries to left wing Takehisa Usuzuki and a further five-pointer to flanker Steven Bates helped the Brave Lupus to a 15-10 lead by the break, before a second touchdown to Bates early in the second period stretched the lead to 22-10. From that point on Panasonic were in catch up mode but Toshiba never allowed the Knights to really get within striking distance. Right wing Akihito Yamada, who was named in the Japan squad for November earlier in the week crossed the Toshiba whitewash twice in the latter half but it just was not their night.
In the first game of another double-header on Saturday evening, Kintetsu Liners beat newly promoted Kyuden Voltex 48-11 at the Toyota Stadium in Toyota city in Aichi prefecture. There was very little in the first half with Kintetsu holding onto a 10-6 lead at the break, but all that changed in the second half. After halftime Kintetsu opened up the game with six tries in the half included a double to flanker Toetu’u Taufa while veteran centre Shotaro Onishi kicked five conversions and a penalty. Long-serving Kyuden stalwart Kohei Kichijo was sinbinned in the second half and this only compounded the woes for the Voltex who fell to their fourth straight loss this season. on the other hand, this was a much needed win for Kintetsu who sit mid table with two wins and two losses from their first four games of the season. meanwhile, prop Daiki Toyota was named man-of-the-match for the second time this season.
In the second game at the Toyota Stadium, Toyota Verblitz were at home to face the unbeaten Kobelco Steelers with the two sides playing out the first draw of the season when they were locked at 23-all at fulltime. Kobe had the better of the opening half with lock Shoji Ito and centre Jaques Fourie touching down as the Steelers got out to 17-3 by halftime. Peter Grant added two penalties early in the second half to open up a 23-6 lead before Toyota started their fight back. No8 Takashi Kikutani scored the first Verblitz try in 17th minute before halfback Ippei Asada added another in the 32nd with the Stephen Brett conversion tying things up. Brett then had the opportunity to steal the win with a penalty at the death but he could not raise the flags leaving the sides to share the spoils.
In one of two Sunday afternoon games, NEC Green Rockets beat NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes 42-13 at the ND Soft Stadium Yamagata in Yamagata prefecture. NEC scored six tries to two to notch up their second win and first four try bonus point after four rounds of the new season. On the other side, things are just not getting any better for NTT Docomo who fell to their fourth heavy loss in a row. Even this early in the season the pressure is mounting on the Red Hurricanes as this sees them sit on the bottom of the table with no points to show for their efforts. With the NTT defence showing signs of fragility so far this season this created the perfect opportunity for barnstorming Nemani Nadolo to show his wares running in four of the six tries for the Green Rockets.
In the other Sunday game, Yamaha Jubilo beat Fukuoka Sanix Blues 53-27 at the Toyama Sports Park in Toyama city in the prefecture of the same name. In an open first half wing Shinji Nakazono scored two of the three tries for Yamaha as Jubilo scooted out to a 25-8 lead by halftime. That was just the appetiser as both sides dished up a further seven tries in the latter half to guarantee the two teams collected a four try bonus point. Philippine international Patrice Olivier did the damage with two tries off the bench for Yamaha in the second half while Karn Hesketh did the same for Sanix to guarantee the Blues picked up a bonus point in spite of the overwhelming scoreline against them.
Japan Rugby Top League 2012-13
|
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | BP1 | BP2 | Pts |
| 1 | Suntory | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 152 | 80 | 72 | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| 2 | Toshiba | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 143 | 65 | 78 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Yamaha | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 145 | 67 | 78 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Kobe | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 66 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| 5 | Panasonic | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 143 | 85 | 58 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 6 | Kintetsu | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 105 | 64 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 7 | NEC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 104 | 96 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 8 | Toyota | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 81 | 90 | -9 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 9 | NTT Com | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 74 | 82 | -8 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 10 | Canon | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 92 | 109 | -17 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 11 | Sanix | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 86 | 155 | -69 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 12 | Kyuden | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 68 | 132 | -64 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 13 | Ricoh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 56 | 121 | -65 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | NTT Docomo | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 48 | 185 | -137 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Four points for win, two for draw, one bonus point for four tries or more (BP1) and one bonus point for losing by seven or less (BP2).
Leading Point Scorers
At the completion of round four, Yamaha fullback Ayumu Goromaru tops the point scorers list with 65 points.
|
| Name | Team | T | G | PG | Pts |
| 1 | Ayumu Goromaru | Yamaha | 0 | 13 | 13 | 65 |
| 2 | Yoshio Kimishima | NTT Com | 2 | 4 | 12 | 54 |
| 3 | Atsushi Tanabe | Panasonic | 0 | 13 | 9 | 53 |
| 4 | Peter Grant | Kobe | 0 | 7 | 9 | 41 |
| 5 | Shotaro Onishi | Kintetsu | 0 | 11 | 6 | 40 |
| 6 | Ryohei Mitomo | Canon | 1 | 8 | 6 | 39 |
| 7 | Hiroshi Tashiro | Sanix | 0 | 5 | 9 | 37 |
| 7 | Stephen Brett | Toyota | 2 | 6 | 5 | 37 |
| 9 | Akihito Yamada | Panasonic | 7 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| 9 | Nemani Nadolo | NEC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
Leading Try Scorers
At the completion of round four, Panasonic wing Akihito Yamada and NEC wing Nemani Nadolo top the try scorers list with 7 tries.
|
| Name | Team | Tries |
| 1 | Akihito Yamada | Panasonic | 7 |
| 1 | Nemani Nadolo | NEC | 7 |
| 3 | Steven Bates | Toshiba | 5 |
| 3 | Shinji Nakazono | Yamaha | 5 |
| 5 | Tim Bennett | Canon | 4 |
Round 4 Man-of-the-match Awards
| Date | Teams | Score | Teams | Ground | MOTM |
| Fri 21 Sep 2012 | NTT Comm. | 14-9 | Ricoh | Chichibu, Tokyo | Yusuke Ogawa, Wing |
| Sat 22 Sep 2012 | Suntory | 42-17 | Canon | Chichibu, Tokyo | Hirotoki Onozawa, Wing |
|
| Toshiba | 32-22 | Panasonic | Chichibu, Tokyo | Takehisa Usuzuki, Wing |
|
| Kintetsu | 48-11 | Kyuden | Toyota Stadium, Aichi | Daiki Toyota, Prop |
|
| Toyota | Kobe | Toyota Stadium, Aichi | - | |
| Sun 23 Sep 2012 | NEC | 42-13 | NTT Docomo | ND Stadium, Yamagata | Nemani Nadolo, Wing |
|
| Yamaha | 53-27 | Sanix | Toyama Sports Park, Toyama | Jerry Collins, Wing |
NB: No man-of-the-match award in the case of a draw.
Top League Profiles 2012-13
(3) – Toshiba Brave Lupus
http://www.toshiba.co.jp/
2012-13 Introduction: Last season (2011-12) Toshiba finished second on the final table and consequently made it to the semi-final stages at both the Top League Play-offs and the National Championship but failed to make the final on both occasions. Toshiba were the team to beat in the early years of Top League but have been usurped somewhat by Suntory and Panasonic over recent seasons. Nevertheless, Toshiba have won the Top League title five times and that lack of silverware over the past few years will surely act as a strong source of motivation this year. Suntory, Panasonic and Toshiba were head and shoulders above the rest of the league last season and it remains to be seen if the rest of the field can close the gap on these three front runners in 2012-13.
Instrumental in how Toshiba will fare this year will be the likes of veteran locks Hitoshi Ono and Yuta Mochizuki while backrowers Michael Leitch, Steven Bates and captain Masato Toyoda will also be important figures in the pack. Meanwhile, in the backs halfback Jun Fujii made his international debut this past spring while goal kicking five-eighth David Hill has kicked the Brave Lupus to many a win over recent years. Centre Tomohiro Semba also represented his country in the spring along with wing Toshiaki Hirose who became national captain under Eddie Jones. The wily Kenichi Wada is again the head coach this season and he will be striving to get Toshiba back to the glory days of the recent past.
Established: Toshiba Rugby was set up in 1948 and is located in the western Tokyo area of Fuchu. Originally, the official name for the club was Toshiba Fuchu Brave Lupus. However, from the 2006-7 season the “Fuchu” part of the name was dropped as a mark of representing the Toshiba Corporation as a whole rather than just the Fuchu based component of the company. Toshiba use the emblem of the wolf and thus the name Brave Lupus.
The team slogan for 2012-13 is “Break Through”.
The Company: Electronics, electrical, IT and power systems maker, including industrial, office and household products. Toshiba was one of the major sponsors for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France.
Titles:
Top League – 5 times (2009-10, 2008-9, 2006-7, 2005-6 and 2004-5); runners-up once (2003-4).
From the 2003-4 season to the 2005-6 season, Top League consisted of 12 teams and the team that finished on top of the table claimed the title. In the 2006-7 season, Top League was increased to 14 teams with the top four finishers on the ladder progressing to the Microsoft Cup, the play-off series to determine the overall Top League champion. From the 2009-10 season, the Microsoft company did not renew their naming rights sponsorship and so the finals series became known as the Top League Play-off Tournament.
2011-12 (14 teams): second on table on 55 points with 11 wins & 2 losses. Lost 37-25 to Panasonic in Play-off semi-final.
2010-11 (14 teams): first on table on 57 points with 11 wins & 2 losses. Lost 17-12 to Suntory in Play-off semi-final.
2009-10 (14 teams): Champions. third on table on 52 points with 10 wins & 3 losses. Defeated Suntory 35-24 in Play-off SF and then Sanyo 6-0 in the final.
2008-9 (14 teams): Champions. topped table on 59 points with 12 wins & 1 loss. Defeated Kobe 26-7 in Microsoft Cup semi-final and then Sanyo 17-6 in the final.
2007-8 (14 teams): 4th on table on 47 points with 9 wins & 4 losses. Lost 25-21 to Sanyo in Microsoft Cup semi-final.
2006-7 (14 teams): Champions. topped table on 60 points with 12 wins & 1 loss. Defeated Toyota 38-33 in Microsoft Cup semi-final and then Suntory 14-13 in the final.
2005-6 (12 teams): Champions. first on table on 46 points with 9 wins and 2 losses.
2004-5 (12 teams): Champions. first on table on 50 points with 10 wins and 1 loss.
2003-4 (12 teams): Runners-up. 2nd on table on 42 points with 8 wins, a draw and 2 losses.
Microsoft Cup – (as a standalone Cup 2004-2006) twice (2006 and 2005); runners-up once (2004).
From 2004 to 2006 the Microsoft Cup was a separate knock-out tournament for the top 8 finishers in Top League. From 2007 to 2009 the Microsoft Cup acted as the play-off finals series to determine the overall Top League champion with the top four finishers on the Top League ladder progressing to the Microsoft Cup. The Microsoft company did not renew their naming rights sponsorship for the 2009-10 Top League season and so the 2010 finals series became known as the Top League Play-off Tournament.
2009: Champions. Defeated Kobe 26-7 in semi-final and then Sanyo 17-6 in the final.
2008: lost 25-21 to Sanyo in semi-final.
2007: Champions. Defeated Toyota 38-33 in semi-final and then Suntory 14-13 in the final.
2006: Champions. Defeated Kobe 38-7 in first round, NEC 23-10 in semi-final and then Suntory 33-18 in final.
2005: Champions. Defeated Suntory 33-13 in first round, Kobe 41-0 in semi-final and then Yamaha 21-6 in final.
2004: Runners-up. Defeated Yamaha 30-10 in first round, Sanyo 36-34 in semi-final and then lost to NEC 24-19 in final.
National Championship - 6 times (2007, 2006 – joint champions with NEC, 2004, 1999, 1998 and 1997) and runners-up once (1988).
After 22 teams participated in the 2004 National Championship it was reduced to 8 teams for 2005 consisting of the top four Top League sides, the top two universities, the top challenger from lower divisions and the top club side. In 2009 the number of teams was increased to ten with two additional Top League sides.
For 2010 the Wildcard Tournament was introduced to the National Championship for the Top League sides that finished fifth to tenth on the final table. In 2011 these six sides were: Kobe (fifth on 36 points), NEC (sixth on 34 points), Ricoh (seventh on 32 points), Sanix (eighth on 32 points), Kintetsu (ninth on 31 points) and Coca-Cola (tenth on 28 points). The teams played off over two weekends with Kobe and Ricoh winning the right to participate in the NC as the final two Top League participants. In 2012 the Wildcard Tournament was abbreviated to the four teams that finished fifth to eighth with fifth placed Kintetsu Liners playing eighth placed Yamaha Jubilo and sixth placed Kobe Steelers playing seventh placed Ricoh Black Rams. Kobe beat Ricoh 32-19 and Yamaha beat Kintetsu 17-15 with the winners thus qualifying for the up-coming 49th National Championship.
2012 (49th NC - 10 teams): Beat Yamaha 56-15 in 1st round, Teikyo Uni 86-19 in 2nd round, lost to Suntory 23-8 in semi-finals.
2011 (48th NC - 10 teams): Beat NEC 21-10 in 1st round, Teikyo Uni 43-10 in 2nd round, lost to Sanyo 33-21 in semi-finals.
2010 (47th NC - 10 teams): Lost to Toyota 23-10 in the semis.
2009 (46th NC - 10 teams): Toshiba withdrew from the 2009 NC after wing Christian Loamanu failed a doping test conducted by the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA).
2008 (45th NC - 8 teams): Beat Waseda 47-24 in quarterfinal then lost to Suntory 25-14 in semis.
2007 (44th NC - 8 teams): Champions. Beat Yamaha 47-10 in semis then beat Toyota 19-10 in the final.
2006 (43rd NC - 8 teams): Joint-Champions. Beat Waseda 43-0 in semis then drew with NEC 6-all in the final.
2005 (42nd NC - 8 teams): Lost to Toyota 24-19 in the semis.
2004 (41st NC - 22 teams): Champions. Beat Toyota 55-12 in quarterfinals, beat Yamaha 33-12 then beat Kobe 22-16 in the final.
Corporate Champions - 3 times (1998, 1997, 1988), runners-up 4 times (2003, 1995, 1993, 1989, 1984). The Corporate Championship started in 1949 and ended with the 55th Corporate Championship in 2003 as a consequence of the introduction of Top League as the national corporate league in the 2003-4 season.
Colours: Toshiba wear a red jersey with black flashes through the flanks, black shorts and socks. Their alternative jersey is light blue.
Style of Play: Toshiba have virtually swept all before them since the advent of Top League as a national competition in 2003-4 winning five titles and finishing runner-up to Kobe in the inaugural season. Further, Toshiba won the Microsoft Cup twice and finished runner-up once when the Cup was a standalone competition from 2004 to 2006. Toshiba have also won the National Championship three times over the TL era. Toshiba took out all 3 titles on offer in the 2006-7 and 2005-6 seasons, though they had to share the National Championship title with NEC after a 6-all draw in the 2006 final. To sum up the last nine years for Toshiba, the team has taken the combined Top League/Microsoft Cup title twice, won the standalone Top League title three times, won the standalone Microsoft Cup twice and taken the National Championship title three times.
Creating the platform for a lot of the early success was the stability at the club both on and off the field. Masahiro Kunda and Teppei Tomioka (retired at end of 2010-11) were coach and captain respectively for five years up to the end of the 2006-7 season and they worked extremely well in combination. Furthermore, Toshiba based their rugby philosophy around a big forward pack that rolled all before it. At the centre of those packs were the likes of lock Lautangi Vatuvei (retired), No8 Nick Holten (retired end of 2009-10), flanker Yasunori Watanabe (killed in a railway accident), prop Kenji Kasai (retired end of 2011-12) and lock Hitoshi Ono. However, Toshiba also possessed one of the slickest backlines in TL with former All Black Scott McLeod (retired end of 2008-9) leading the way up the midfield for Nataniela Oto and Goshi Tachikawa to finish off.
However, Kunda moved on to the Rugby Academy as its director and was replaced by Tomohiro Sekawa as head coach over the next four season while Tomioka passed on the captaincy to Toshiaki Hirose who also had the role for four years under Sekawa. Vatuvei went on to greener pastures with Kintetsu and then Toyota Jido Shokki while Holten and McLeod retired while Watanabe was tragically killed in a railway accident. The same nuts and bolts are more or less still there in the superstructure of Toshiba but a few familiar faces are now missing.
The major factor in the revival of Toshiba over the past few seasons has been the presence of New Zealander David Hill at five-eighth. Toshiba joined the throng of TL sides with a top-notch goal-kicking overseas player in the playmaking position and it certainly paid dividends. In his first season with Toshiba in 2008-9, Hill was the runaway leading point scorer for the season with 226 points from 11 tries, 60 conversions and 17 penalties. Ryan Nicholas (Suntory) was next on the list with 158 points. Backrower Steven Bates, now in his fifth season took over the role of Holten as the hard man in the pack.
There is a sense of transition at Toshiba with former backs coach Kenichi Wada now in his second season as head coach after taking over from Sekawa while No8 Masato Toyoda is also in his second year as captain this season. There is a winning culture at Toshiba and after missing out on making the Top League the last two years the club will be keen to make amends. Further, Toshiba have not won the National Championship title since 2007 and that also be a sore point in the club.
Players to watch: Toshiba Brave Lupus have not made the Top League final the past two seasons but Toshiba have been one of the most successful teams in Japan over recent years winning five of the eight Top League titles to date and in 2012-13 they will again be in the hunt for another title. Kenichi Wada is in his second year as head coach and he is in charge of a very stable squad of players that includes the likes of Japan internationals in hookers Hiroki Yuhara and Taku Inokuchi, locks Hitoshi Ono and Yuta Mochizuki, flankers Tomoaki Nakai and Michael Leitch and No8 Masato Toyoda in the pack along with hard man Steven Bates.
In the backs, a lot of responsibility will again be on the shoulders of five-eighth David Hill and his goal kicking while other main players include halfback Tomoki Yoshida, centres Tomohiro Semba and Neil Brew, wing Takehisa Usuzuki and veteran fullbacks Tsutomu Matsuda and Goshi Tachikawa.
Toshiba are also facing a situation that Kobe had to deal with a few years ago in the fact that their squad is aging. Not to mention the fact that fullback Tsutomu Matsuda is still an active player at the age of 42, the bulk of the mainstay at Toshiba is on the wrong side of 30. Prop Toshiki Sakurai is 32, lock Ono 34, Bates 32, Hill 34, Tachikawa 35, Oto 34, Brew 33 while there are a further nine players aged 30 or older. There are a number of young players coming through the ranks but the risk is there that Toshiba could seriously lose their competitive edge over the next few years.
Cap holders for Japan in the current squad: (16)
In 2012, in the HSBC A5N series, Toshiba were represented by lock Hitoshi Ono, flankers Michael Leitch and Yuta Mochizuki, halfback Jun Fujii, centre Tomohiro Semba, and wing Toshiaki Hirose. Under new national head coach Eddie Jones, Mochizuki, Fujii and Semba made their international debuts in this series while Hirose was recalled to international duties after playing one test in April 2007 and also made national captain. In the IRB PNC series, Toshiba were again represented by Ono, Mochizuki, Leitch, Fujii, Semba and Hirose.
At the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, in the forwards Toshiba were represented by hooker Hiroki Yuhara who was used from the bench against New Zealand, lock Hitoshi Ono who was an unused reserve against France, started against New Zealand and then was used from the bench against Tonga and Canada and flanker Michael Leitch who started in the No.7 jersey in all four tests winning the man-of-the-match award against Tonga. In the backs, halfback Tomoki Yoshida was used from the bench against New Zealand but a torn left hamstring ruled him out of the rest of the Cup and wing Takehisa Usuzuki who started on the right wing against New Zealand and was an unused reserve against Tonga.
In 2011, in the HSBC A5N series, Toshiba were represented by hooker Hiroki Yuhara, lock Hitoshi Ono, new recruit in flanker Michael Leitch from Tokai University, wing Takehisa Usuzuki and fullback Goshi Tachikawa. Usuzuki made his debut on the left wing in the third test of the series against the UAE scoring 4 tries in a memorable game. Fukushima born Ono was made game captain in the test against the UAE in honour of the victims of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake. In the IRB PNC series, Toshiba were represented by lock Ono, flanker Leitch, halfback Tomoki Yoshida, wing Usuzuki and fullback Tachikawa. Yoshida was an unused reserve in the final test against Fiji and so never actually saw game time in the series. In the final test of the IRB PNC 2011 against Tonga, lock Ono earned his fiftieth cap for Japan becoming only the fifth player for Japan to reach the half century mark. In the two warm-up tests for the 2011 RWC against Italy (away) and the USA (home), Toshiba were represented by hooker Yuhara, lock Ono, flanker Leitch, halfback Yoshida and wing Usuzuki.
In 2010, in the HSBC Asian Five Nations series, Toshiba were represented by hooker Hiroki Yuhara, lock Hitoshi Ono, halfback Tomoki Yoshida and fullback Goshi Tachikawa. Yuhara made his debut from the bench in the opening game of the series against Korea before making his run-on debut the following week against the Arabian Gulf. He finished the four test series with three caps. Tachikawa played his first test since 2007 with starts in three of the four tests. However, a three match ban for punching after he received a red card in the final game against Hong Kong ruled him out of the PNC 2010 squad. Ono captained Japan in the final two games against Kazakhstan and Hong Kong after regular captain Takashi Kikutani (Toyota) was cited and suspended for two matches for stamping. In the ANZ Pacific Nations Cup, Toshiba were represented by hooker Yuhara, lock Ono and halfback Yoshida. In the home autumn tests against Samoa and Russia, Toshiba were represented by Yuhara and Ono in the forwards and Tachikawa in the backs although the latter was not chosen in the XXII for either test.
In 2009, in the Asian Five Nations and the Pacific Nations Cup tournaments, Toshiba supplied lock Hitoshi Ono in the forwards and half Tomoki Yoshida and wing Hiroki Yoshida in the backs. In the two home tests against Canada in November 2009, Toshiba were represented by lock Ono and halfback Tomoki Yoshida who both started in each test.
In 2008, in the inaugural Asian Five Nations (A5N) tournament, Toshiba supplied Taku Inokuchi and Hitoshi Ono in the forwards while in the backs wing Hiroki Yoshida made his international debut and half Tomoki Yoshida continued to earn caps for his country. In the Pacific Nations Cup (PNC), Toshiba was represented by Inokuchi and Ono in the forwards, while in the backs both Yoshidas played, along with new recruit Christian Loamanu. Furthermore, No8 Masato Toyoda made his test debut from the bench in the second test against the USA in Tokyo in November.
At the 2007 RWC in France, Toshiba supplied five players to the Japan squad in hooker Taku Inokuchi (run-on No2 against Australia and came on as reserve hooker against Wales), flanker Yasunori Watanabe (run-on No6 against Australia and Wales), lock Hitoshi Ono (run-on No4 against Fiji, Wales and Canada), half Tomoki Yoshida (run-on No9 against Fiji, Wales and Canada) and centre Nataniela Oto (run-on No12 against Australia).
Hitoshi Ono (445) 34 y/o, 61 caps at lock.
Tsutomu Matsuda (323) 42 y/o, 43 caps at wing/fullback.
Michael Leitch (518) 23 y/o, 26 caps at flanker.
Tomoki Yoshida (486) 30 y/o, 25 caps at halfback.
Goshi Tachikawa (376) 35 y/o, 21 caps at fullback.
Nataniela Oto (411) 34 y/o, 12 caps at wing.
Tomoaki Nakai (464) 30 y/o, 11 caps at flanker.
Hiroki Yuhara (537) 28 y/o, 9 caps at hooker.
Toshiaki Hirose (495) 30 y/o, 8 caps at flyhalf.
Taku Inokuchi (496) 29 y/o, 7 caps hooker.
Hiroki Yoshida (503) 30 y/o, 7 caps at wing.
Yuta Mochizuki (TBC) 31 y/o, 7 caps at flanker.
Tomohiro Semba (TBC) 29 y/o, 7 caps at centre.
Takehisa Usuzuki (547) 26 y/o, 7 caps at wing.
Jun Fujii (TBC) 30 y/o, 6 caps at halfback.
Masato Toyoda (520) 27 y/o, 1 cap at No8.
Kenji Kasai (373) 35 y/o, 11 caps at prop. Retired at end of 2011-12 season.
The Coach: Kenichi Wada (DOB: 10/11/1972, 39 y/o, Japan player number 355) is in his second season as head coach at Toshiba for the 2012-13 season. Wada attended Tokai University Sagami High School and then Tokai University before joining Toshiba. He was a wing or fullback in his playing days and earned five caps for Japan in 1997. Wada was backs coach at Toshiba from the 2003-4 season to the completion of the 2010-11 season.
Tomohiro Sekawa was head coach for four seasons after he took over from Masahiro Kunda. Sekawa was backs coach under Kunda from 2000 to 2006. Kunda, one of the modern legends of Japanese rugby, had been in charge for five seasons and during this time turned Toshiba into the most formidable and successful team in present day Japanese rugby. Kunda who took over the reins from Andrew McCormick in 2002 oversaw the revival of his former club based on a big forward pack and a maul unmatched in the league. He was hooker and former skipper of the Cherry Blossoms in 15 of his 43 Tests from 1990 to 1999. Sekawa is actually younger than fullback Tsutomu Matsuda and so he is close in age to most senior players. Sekawa has not made great changes, but has created a subtle shift in emphasis from the rolling maul and forwards dominated play to a more expansive “ball running rugby” style.
The Captain: No8 Masato Toyoda (DOB: 29/11/1984, 27 y/o) is in his second season as captain at Toshiba for the 2012-13 season. Toyoda attended Tokai University Gyosei High School in Osaka and then Tokai University before joining Toshiba in the 2007-8 season making this his fifth season with the club. To date, as Japan player #520 he has one cap for Japan, making his test debut from the bench in the second test against the USA in Tokyo in November 2008. Centre Tomohiro Semba is the vice-captain.
Toyoda takes over as captain from Toshiaki Hirose who was captain for four years in combination with Sekawa as coach. He took over from Teppei Tomioka (retired at end of the 2010-11 season). Tomioka captained the side for five years in partnership with Kunda as coach. Hirose joined the club after graduating from Keio University. He earned his only test cap to date against Hong Kong as flyhalf. He represented Japan at high school, U19, Sevens and Japan A levels as well.
Losses: (4 + 1)
Kenji KASAI, 36 y/o (07/06/1976), prop, 184/118, 11 caps, into company workforce after 13 seasons with club.
Manabu SUZUKI, 29 y/o (08/02/1983), lock, 200/108, into company workforce after 3 seasons with club.
Bernard UPTON (NZL), 30 y/o (22/09/1981), lock, 198/116, NPC Bay of Plenty and Wellington, SR Chiefs and Hurricanes, Connacht 2009-2011, JAB 2006 and 2005. After one year with club.
Kosho HIRAKAWA, 28 y/o (10/03/1984), centre, 183/92, into company workforce after 6 seasons with club.
Nick Holten (NZ), moved to Kobe as forwards coach.
Gains: (3)
Keiichi TANAKA, 22 y/o (25/10/1989), prop, 178/116, from Kanto Gakuin Univ, he has represented Japan at High School and U20 levels.
KIM Kyul (Korea), 27 y/o (04/05/1985), lock, 193/114, 2 caps for Korea, Suntory Foods 2009-10, Coca-Cola 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Yoshikazu MORITA, 23 y/o (14/05/1989), five-eighth/centre, 174/88, from Teikyo Univ (captain), he has represented Japan at U20 level.
Overseas Players & Staff: (7 + 1)
Nataniela OTO (Japan/Tonga) 34 y/o (16/05/1978), centre, 173/95, 10th year, 12 caps for Japan. Oto has taken out Japanese nationality and so Toshiba can play him as a non-foreign player outside the quota of only 3 foreign players allowed on the field at any one time.
Steven BATES (NZ), 32 y/o (16/01/1980), flanker/No8, 191/110, 5th year, NPC Waikato, SR Chiefs.
David HILL (NZ), 34 y/o (31/07/1978), five-eighth, 186/103, 5th year, 1 cap for NZ (v Ireland 17/6/2006, Auckland), went on 2001 AB tour to Europe, S12/14 Chiefs (58 games, 2001 to end of 2006 season), joined Bristol Nov. ’06.
Daisuke ESTRELLA (USA/Japan), 25 y/o (19/11/1986), prop/lock, 186/115, 4th year. He has represented the USA at U19 level.
Neil BREW (NZ), 33 y/o (08/03/1979), wing/centre, 182/96, 4th year , NPC Otago, S12 Highlanders and Bristol (Eng). He has represented NZ Maori.
Michael LEITCH (NZL), 23 y/o (07/10/1988), flanker, 189/105, 2nd year, from Tokai Univ, he has represented Japan at High School, U20, Sevens and has 26 caps at the full national level.
KIM Kyul (Korea), 27 y/o (04/05/1985), lock, 193/114, 1st year, 2 caps for Korea, Suntory Foods 2009-10, Coca-Cola 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Joe BARAKAT (AUS).
The 2012-13 Squad: (46) The list starts with captain and vice-captains and then continues through forwards and backs in order from props to fullbacks.
Masato Toyoda (c), Yuta Mochizuki (v-c), Tomohiro Semba (v-c). Forwards: Toshiki Sakurai, Tomohiro Kubo, Taku Inokuchi, Daisuke Estrella, Takuma Asahara, Masataka Mikami, Keiichi Tanaka, Hiroki Yuhara, Takahiro Takaki, Futoshi Mori, Hitoshi Ono, Kentaro Kokuzawa, Tomoaki Nakai, Kim Kyul, Shunsuke Amemiya, Kyosuke Kajikawa, Keisuke Matsuda, Michael Leitch, Eiri Nakada, Steven Bates and Hiroshi Yamamoto. Backs: Tomoki Yoshida, Jun Fujii, Daisuke Mitsui, Shuhei Oshima, David Hill, Toshiaki Hirose, Kuniaki Takayama, Ryohei Yoshida, Taiki Watanabe, Yoshikazu Morita, Goshi Tachikawa, Nataniela Oto, Keisuke Masuda, Tsutomu Matsuda, Neil Brew, Hiroki Yoshida, Atsushi Fujiya, Takehisa Usuzuki, Tasuku Sato, Shin Ito, Daisuke Natsui and Shohei Toyoshima. Coach: Kenichi Wada (39).
Posts
Gary and Ian,
ReplyDeleteCan any one of you tell me how the likes of Fourie du Preez and Ryan Kankowski ( both from the Republic) are currently doing in Japan?
There really isn't much on YT ( nothing if I'll be honest) to draw conclusions from.