01.11.2013
Poland v Sri Lanka in Colombo (IRB Serendib Tri-Nations)
02.11.2013
England v Australia at Twickenham
New Zealand v Japan in Tokyo
Ukraine v Sweden in Kiev (WCQ Europe R4: ENC 1B)
Lithuania v Malta in (?) (ENC 2A)
Croatia v Switzerland in Split (ENC 2A)
Denmark v Israel in (?) (ENC 2B)
03.11.2013
New Zealand Maoris v Canada in Toronto
Congratulations RIJ Newsletter 10th Anniversary 2003-2013
RiJ looks at Round Six of Top League and profiles Toshiba.
Enjoy the read.
CONTENTS
Japan Rugby Top League 2013-14
Stage One, Round Six
Pool A
| Date | Team | Score | Team | K/O | Venue |
| Sat, 19 Oct 2013 | NTT Comm. (6Ts) | 41-19 | Kyuden (3Ts) | 12:00 | Chichibu, Tokyo |
|
| NTT Docomo (1T) | 7-20 | Toyota (3Ts) | 12:00 | Hanazono, Osaka |
| Sun, 20 Oct 2012 | Suntory (2Ts) | 29-20 | Kobe (2Ts) | 14:00 | Yokohama, Kanagawa |
|
| Toyota Industries | 6-28 | NEC (4Ts) | 14:00 | Suzuka, Mie |
Pool B
| Date | Team | Score | Team | K/O | Venue |
| Sat, 19 Oct 2013 | Panasonic (5Ts) | 40-22 | Toshiba (4Ts) | 14:00 | Chichibu, Tokyo |
|
| Kintetsu (2Ts) | 17-26 | Yamaha (2Ts) | 14:00 | Hanazono, Osaka |
| Sun, 20 Oct 2013 | Coca-Cola (5Ts) | 36-66 | Canon (10Ts) | 13:00 | Oita, Oita |
|
| Kubota (1T) | 16-12 | Ricoh (2Ts) | 14:00 | Shibata, Niigata |
Stage One, Round Six Preview
Pool A
In the first game of a double header at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Saturday afternoon, NTT Communications Shining Arcs play Kyuden Voltex. NTT Comm. lost their first two games of the season to Suntory and then NEC before chalking up wins over Toyota Industries, Toyota and NTT Docomo last round to give them a mid-table position in Pool A. On the other hand, Kyuden are struggling with straight losses to NTT Docomo, Kobe, Toyota, Suntory and NEC last round putting them last on the Pool A table as the only team in the combined league yet to register a point. The Arc are aiming to continue their climb up the table and that is not a good sign for the Voltex who have to travel all the way to Tokyo for their sixth game of the season.
In the first game of a double header at the Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Ground in Osaka on Saturday afternoon, NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes play Toyota Verblitz. NTT Docomo were the surprise packet of the first two rounds beating Kyuden and then Toyota Industries, but have been given a reality check with back-to-back losses to Kobe, NEC and NTT Comm. The Verblitz have had an up and down start to the season with a win over Toyota Industries in their first game before being overwhelmed by Suntory in round two. They eked out a victory over Kyuden then lost to NTT Comm. before becoming the first team to upset Kobe this season. If Toyota take that form to Osaka it will be almost impossible for the Hurricanes to come up with a win.
On Sunday in Yokohama, Suntory Sungoliath face Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers. After taking the Top League title the last two years in a row, Suntory are again shaping up as firm favourites to defend their title after impressive wins over NTT Comm. and Toyota before falling prey to NEC. However, the champions regrouped with a big game against Kyuden before holding on to beat Toyota Industries. Kobe had the best possible start to the season beating NEC, Kyuden, NTT Docomo and Toyota Industries but then came undone against Toyota losing 43-10 in Osaka last round. Suntory and Kobe are two of the best performers in Pool A and with very little between them in terms of form the result is hard to predict.
In Suzuka in Mie prefecture, Toyota Industries Shuttles play NEC Green Rockets. The Shuttles had close losses to Toyota, NTT Docomo, NTT Communications and Kobe but the five bonus points they have picked up along the way was as good as a win. Last round, they had their work cut out against Suntory but pushed the champions all the way only going down 24-17 in the end picking up another BP to help their cause. NEC lost a tight one to Kobe in the opening round and then recoverd to beat NTT Comm., Suntory, NTT Docomo and Kyuden to be well placed on the pool table. Despite recording five straight losses the Shuttles have been playing some bright rugby and they will be hoping their luck changes against the Rockets.
Pool B
In the second game of the Saturday double header in Tokyo, Panasonic Wild Knights play Toshiba Brave Lupus. Panasonic have had a mixed season with a big win over Kintetsu in the opening round followed by a surprise loss to Canon only to draw with Yamaha in round three. The Knights made amends with wins over Kubota and a struggling Coca-Cola but they will to be at their best for this clash with Toshiba as one of the heavy-weights in the pool. Although not vintage Toshiba rugby, the Brave Lupus notched up straight wins over Canon, Coca-Cola, Kubota and Ricoh but the run stopped there when they went down 33-17 Yamaha last round. This is another match that is nigh on impossible to predict with both sides looking to keep the wins coming.
In the second game of the Saturday double header at Hanazono in Osaka, home side Kintetsu Liners play Yamaha Jubilo. The Liners lost heavily to Panasonic in the first round and then lost to Kubota before earning their first win of the season over Coca-Cola in round three. That was followed by a disappointing loss to Canon but they made amends last round but with a 35-29 win over Ricoh in their first home game of the year at Hanazono. Jubilo are a team definitely on the rise and with wins over Kubota and Ricoh followed by a draw with Panasonic and then a big win over Coca-Cola they threw down the gauntlet to Toshiba as five-times Top League champions coming away 33-17 winners. Despite the draw, Yamaha are the only team not to taste defeat after five rounds but at home the Liners will give them a run for their money.
On Sunday in Oita prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Coca-Cola West Red Sparks play Canon Eagles. The Red Sparks had a reasonable start to the season with a draw against Ricoh but then lost to Toshiba, Kintetsu, Yamaha and Panasonic to prop up the bottom of Pool B. Canon had a close loss to Toshiba in their first game then beat the more fancied Panasonic in round two before losing to Ricoh. They then scraped home 18-17 against Kintetsu but were out-played by Kubota losing 37-24. Coca-Cola stay on home turf in Kyushu for this game and will be looking for their fans in Oita to get behind them as they chase their first win of the season against and Eagles side that will be a tough nut to crack.
In Niigata on Sunday, Kubota Spears and Ricoh Black Rams travel for this round six encounter. The Spears lost to Yamaha, beat Kintetsu and then were unlucky going down to Toshiba in their third game. However, Panasonic then proved to be too much to handle but they produced their best performance of the season in Morioka last round beating Canon 37-24. Ricoh played out a draw with Coca-Cola in the opening round and then lost to Yamaha before beating Canon in round three. However, the Black Rams then lost to Toshiba and Kintetsu and so another loss will not be on the cards for this proud club. Veteran Ricoh halfback brought up his 100th Top League game but the celebrations must have been subdued with his side losing.
Stage One Round Six Wrap-up
Pool A
In the first game of a double header at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Saturday afternoon, NTT Communications Shining Arcs beat Kyuden Voltex 41-19. Kyuden posted first points through a try to No8 Matthew Luamanu in the tenth minute but after that the Arcs took control of the first half with tries to No8 Todd Clever and wing Hiraku Tomoigawa getting them out to a 14-7 lead by the break. The pair repeated their try-scoring feats after the break with a second try apiece to stretch the lead to 26-7 by the hour mark. Over the closing quarter of the match both sides added two more tries each but it ended up a good day at the office for the Arcs collecting full points while the heartbreak continues for Kyuden.
In the first game of a double header at the Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Ground in Osaka on Saturday afternoon, NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes went down to Toyota Verblitz 20-7. Toyota lead 10-0 at halfback on the strength of a try to flanker Kojiro Yoshida and a conversion and penalty to five-eighth Cameron McIntyre. The Verblitz extended this to 20-0 with further tries to Yoshida and wing Koji Wada before the Hurricanes closed out the scoring with a late try to centre Paea Mifiposeti. Toyota fell one try short of a bonus point but it kept valuable competition points coming. Toyota prop Kohei Yoshida was named man of the match.
On Sunday in Yokohama, Suntory Sungoliath faced Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers and came away with the spoils 29-20. Kobe five-eighth Ryohei Yamanaka and Suntory centre Ryan Nicholas traded early penalties before South African centre Jaque Fourie scored the opening try of the match for the Steelers just inside the halftime break. However, Suntory fullback Go Aruga had the last say in the half with an opportune drop goal to close the gap to 10-9 at the break. Suntory regained the lead early in the second period with a try to flanker Kenta Nakasone before Yamanaka and Nicholas added further penalties. A converted try to flanker Shohei Maekawa restored the lead to Kobe but Suntory finished the stronger with a Nicholas penalty and a converted try to halfback Atsushi Hiwasa tipping the result the way of the Sungoliath.
In Suzuka in Mie prefecture, Toyota Industries Shuttles played NEC Green Rockets but the Rockets were too strong on the day winning 28-6. NEC virtually had the game under control from beginning to end even though they only led 8-6 at halftime. The Shuttles had no answers in the second half as centre Yu Tamura, Nemani Nadolo and wing Koichiro Kubota added tries to make sure that NEC not only won the game but also went home with the four-try bonus point. It was the sixth loss in a row for the Toyota side but on the other side of the field things are looking positive for NEC with the juggling for positions for Stage Two now taking place.
Pool B
In the second game of the Saturday double header in Tokyo, Panasonic Wild Knights had the better of Toshiba Brave Lupus taking the result 40-22. Panasonic scored five tries to four in a commanding performance that sent a strong message to those sides in the league with title intentions. The sides were tied 10-all at the halftime break but a points rush from the Wild Knights saw them add 18 points over the opening 12 minutes of the second half to scoot out to a 28-10 lead. Toshiba brought the game back to Panasonic with prop Takuma Asahara scoring the third try on the hour to narrow the difference to 28-17, however, the Knights then went on the offensive with tries to Shota Horie and Seiichi Shimomura putting the game beyond the reach of the Brave Lupus. Cooper Vuna brought up the bonus point for Toshiba with a late try but it was Panasonic’s day.
In the second game of the Saturday double header at Hanazono in Osaka, home side Kintetsu Liners played Yamaha Jubilo with the visitors winning 26-17. Both sides scored two tries apiece but like in so many close games in recent years the boot of fullback Ayumu Goromaru got Jubilo across the line first. The first-choice fullback and goal kicker for Japan converted both tries, one of which he scored himself and then added four penalties for a flawless display from the tee and not surprisingly was named man of the match. Kintetsu took the game to Yamaha leading 17-13 at halftime but Jubilo turned up the heat in the second stanza to secure top spot in Pool B.
On Sunday in Oita prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Coca-Cola West Red Sparks played Canon Eagles and in what was one of the highest scores of the season to date the Eagles ran in ten tries to five to win 66-36. Over one hundred points were scored on the afternoon with the Oita locals getting good value for money in what was a running spectacle of rugby. Tokiro Harada dotted down for three tries from the left wing for Canon while centre Ryohei Mitomo scored a try and kicked eight conversions to collect twenty-one points from the match. Wing Masahiro Tsuiki also picked up a hat-trick on the losing side to ensure Coca-Cola did not leave completely empty handed with a four-try bonus point in the bag at least.
In Niigata on Sunday, Kubota Spears beat Ricoh Black Rams 16-12 in their round six encounter. In a low-scoring match in which Ricoh out-scored Kubota two tries to one it was once again left to goal-kicking five-eighth Harumichi Tatekawa with the conversion and four penalties to bring home the win. Ricoh led 7-3 at halftime and then trailed 13-12 inside the final five minutes of play but a late Tatekawa penalty edged Kubota across the line for their third win of the season. The anguish continues for the Black Rams who have had more than their fair share of bad luck this season as they tumbled for their fourth loss.
Pool A
|
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | BP1 | BP2 | Pts |
| 1 | Suntory | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 211 | 97 | 114 | 4 | 1 | 25 |
| 2 | NEC | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 190 | 115 | 75 | 4 | 1 | 25 |
| 3 | Kobe | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 180 | 136 | 44 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| 4 | NTT Comm. | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 144 | 142 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| 5 | Toyota | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 119 | 108 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 18 |
| 6 | NTT Docomo | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 103 | 174 | -71 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 7 | Toyota Industries | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 118 | 166 | -48 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 8 | Kyuden | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 78 | 205 | -127 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool B
|
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | BP1 | BP2 | Pts |
| 1 | Yamaha | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 191 | 122 | 69 | 3 | 0 | 25 |
| 2 | Panasonic | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 190 | 79 | 111 | 4 | 1 | 23 |
| 3 | Toshiba | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 142 | 112 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
| 4 | Canon | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 159 | 143 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| 5 | Kubota | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 139 | 147 | -8 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
| 6 | Kintetsu | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 120 | 145 | -25 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 7 | Ricoh | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 124 | 155 | -31 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 8 | Coca-Cola | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 99 | 261 | -162 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
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 stage 1 round 6, Yamaha fullback Ayumu Goromaru heads the point scorers list with 86 points.
|
| Name | Team | T | G | PG | DG | Pts |
| 1 | Ayumu Goromaru | Yamaha | 2 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 86 |
| 2 | Shaun Webb | NEC | 1 | 11 | 16 | 0 | 75 |
| 3 | Ryan Nicholas | Suntory | 1 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 65 |
| 4 | Ryohei Mitomo | Canon | 1 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 64 |
| 5 | Harumichi Tatekawa | Kubota | 0 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 55 |
| 6 | Yasumasa Shigemitsu | Kintetsu | 0 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 45 |
| 7 | Riaan Viljoen | NTT Docomo | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 41 |
| 8 | Mark Gerrard | Toyota Ind | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 38 |
| 9 | Tadahiro Miwa | Panasonic | 0 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 36 |
| 9 | Daisuke Yamamoto | Kobe | 1 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 36 |
Leading Try Scorers
At the completion of stage 1 round 6, four players head the try scorers list with 6 tries.
|
| Name | Team | Tries |
| 1 | Shuetsu Narita | Suntory | 6 |
| 1 | Masakatsu Hikosaka | Toyota | 6 |
| 1 | Jaque Fourie | Kobe | 6 |
| 1 | Shindo Kamaike | NEC | 6 |
| 5 | Radike Samo | Kintetsu | 5 |
| 5 | Hiraku Tomoigawa | NTT Comm. | 5 |
| 5 | Naoki Chono | Suntory | 5 |
| 5 | Tokiro Harada | Canon | 5 |
| 5 | Akihito Yamada | Panasonic | 5 |
| 10 | Mark Gerrard | Toyota Ind | 4 |
| 10 | JP Pietersen | Panasonic | 4 |
| 10 | So Kil-Ryong | Yamaha | 4 |
| 10 | Koliniasi Ryu Holani | Panasonic | 4 |
| 10 | Tim Bennetts | Canon | 4 |
| Pool | Teams | Score | Teams | Ground | MOTM | |
| Sat 19 Oct 2013 | A | NTT Comm. | 41-19 | Kyuden | Chichibu, Tokyo | Ryo Tsuruda, |
| NTT Comm. No.9 | ||||||
| B | Panasonic | 44-22 | Toshiba | Chichibu, Tokyo | Sioapelatu Ryu Holani, | |
| Panasonic No.3 | ||||||
| A | NTT Docomo | Jul-20 | Toyota | Hanazono, Osaka | Kohei Yoshida, | |
| Toyota No.1 | ||||||
| B | Kintetsu | 17-26 | Yamaha | Hanazono, Osaka | Ayumu Goromaru, | |
| Yamaha No.15 | ||||||
| Sun 20 Oct 2013 | A | Suntory | 29-20 | Kobe | Yokohama, Kanagawa | Go Aruga, |
| Suntory No.15 | ||||||
| B | Coca-Cola | 36-66 | Canon | Oita, Oita | Tokiro Harada, | |
| Canon No.11 | ||||||
| A | Toyota Industries | Jun-28 | NEC | Suzuka, Mie | Nili Latu, | |
| NEC No.6 | ||||||
| B | Kubota | 16-Dec | Ricoh | Shibata, Niigata | Harumichi Tatekawa, | |
| Kubota No.10 |
Top League Profiles 2013-14
(2) – Toshiba Brave Lupus
http://www.toshiba.co.jp/
2013-14 Introduction: Last season (2012-13) 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. They went on to the Top League final for the first time in four years but were defeated by Suntory. 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, Toshiba, Kobe and Panasonic were the front runners last season and it remains to be seen if the rest of the field can close the gap on these four sides in 2013-14.
Instrumental in how Toshiba will fare this year will be the likes of veteran locks Hitoshi Ono and Yuta Mochizuki while backrowers in new captain Michael Leitch, Steven Bates and Masato Toyoda will also be important figures in the pack. Meanwhile, in the backs halfbacks Tomoki Yoshida and Jun Fujii are both internationals while goal kicking five-eighth David Hill has kicked the Brave Lupus to many a win over recent years. Centre Tomohiro Semba has also represented his country along with wing Toshiaki Hirose who became national captain under Eddie Jones. All Black centre Richard Kahui joins Toshiba this season and he will be one to watch. 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 2013-14 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 (2004-5, 2005-6, 2006-7, 2008-9 and 2009-10); runners-up twice (2003-4 and 2012-13).
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.
2012-13 (14 teams): Runners-up. Second on table on 50 points with 10 wins & 3 losses. Defeated Panasonic 20-8 in Play-off SF, lost 19-3 to Suntory in final.
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 (1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006 – joint champions with NEC and 2007) 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.
For 2013, the Wildcard Tournament again featured six teams, that is, the six teams that finished fifth to tenth on the final Top League table for the 2012-13 season. In the first round, eighth placed NEC Green Rockets beat ninth placed NTT Communications Shining Arcs 38-14 and seventh placed Kintetsu Liners beat tenth placed Ricoh Black Rams 43-21. In the second round the following weekend, sixth placed Yamaha Jubilo beat Kintetsu 70-12 and fifth placed Toyota Verblitz beat NEC 41-23. The two winners from the second round in Yamaha and Toyota qualified for the National Championship as the Wildcard Qualifiers.
2013 (50th NC - 10 teams): As runner-up in TL Play-off final, entered NC at SF stage where they lost to Kobe 31-29.
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 and then again to Suntory last 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 Top League 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 ten 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 Top League 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 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 Top League 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 sixth 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 third season as head coach after taking over from Sekawa while backrower Michael Leitch takes over the captaincy this year from No8 Masato Toyoda who had the role the previous two seasons. There is a winning culture at Toshiba and after missing out on the Top League title for a number of 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 made the Top League final last season only to lose to Suntory but Toshiba have been one of the most successful teams in Japan over recent years winning five of the ten Top League titles to date and in 2013-14 they will again be in the hunt for another title. Kenichi Wada is in his third year as head coach and he is in charge of a very stable squad of players that includes the likes of Japan internationals in hooker Hiroki Yuhara, 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. There is also a number of up and coming players coming through the ranks with props Takuma Asahara and Masataka Mikami now Japan internationals.
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 halfbacks Tomoki Yoshida and Jun Fujii, centre Tomohiro Semba, wings Toshiaki Hirose and Takehisa Usuzuki and veteran fullback Goshi Tachikawa. Also in the backline this season are former All Blacks centre Richard Kahui and former Wallabies wing Cooper Vuna.
Toshiba have also been facing a situation that Kobe had to deal with a few years ago in the fact that their squad has been aging. Fullback Tsutomu Matsuda retired at the end of the 2012-13 season at the age of 42, however, the bulk of the mainstay at Toshiba is on the wrong side of 30. Lock Ono 35, Bates 33, Hill 35, Tachikawa 36, Oto 35, while there is a number of players around 30. This season it is noticeable that there quality younger players coming through the ranks to counter the risk that Toshiba could lose their competitive edge over the next few years.
Cap holders for Japan in the current squad: (16)
In 2013, in the HSBC A5N series, Toshiba were represented by young props Takuma Asahara and Masataka Mikami who both made their debuts in the series, hooker Hiroki Yuhara, lock Hitoshi Ono and wing Toshiaki Hirose as captain. In the IRB PNC series, Toshiba were represented by Asahara, Mikami, Ono, Leitch, and Hirose. Yuhara was included in the squad for the series but was not included in any tests while Leitch seriously injured his leg against Fiji ruling him out for the rest of the season. In the middle of the PNC series, Wales toured Japan for two tests and Toshiba were represented by Mikami, Ono and Hirose.
Hitoshi ONO (445) 35 y/o (06/05/1978), 73 tests at lock.
Michael LEITCH (518) 25 y/o (07/10/1988), 29 tests at flanker.
Tomoki YOSHIDA (486) 31 y/o (22/02/1982), 25 tests at halfback.
Goshi TACHIKAWA (376) 36 y/o (25/11/1976), 21 tests at fullback.
Toshiaki HIROSE (495) 32 y/o (17/10/1981), 15 tests at five-eighth/wing.
Nataniela OTO (411) 35 y/o (16/05/1978), 12 tests at wing.
Tomoaki NAKAI (464) 32 y/o (18/09/1981), 11 tests at flanker.
Hiroki YUHARA (537) 29 y/o (21/01/1984), 11 tests at hooker.
Masataka MIKAMI (TBC) 25 y/o (04/06/1988), 9 tests at prop.
Hiroki YOSHIDA (503) 31 y/o (16/11/1981), 7 tests at wing.
Yuta MOCHIZUKI (560) 32 y/o (21/08/1981), 7 tests at flanker.
Tomohiro SEMBA (556) 30 y/o (26/10/1982), 7 tests at centre.
Takehisa USUZUKI (547) 28 y/o (28/09/1985), 7 tests at wing.
Jun FUJII (554) 31 y/o (10/08/1982), 6 tests at halfback.
Takuma ASAHARA (TBC) 26 y/o (07/09/1987), 5 tests at prop.
Masato TOYODA (520) 28 y/o (29/11/1984), 1 test at No8.
Tsutomu MATSUDA (323) 43 y/o (30/04/1970), 43 tests at wing/fullback. Retired at end of 2012-13 season.
Taku INOKUCHI (496) 29 y/o (05/10/1982), 7 tests hooker. Retired at end of 2012-13 season.
The Coach: Kenichi Wada (DOB: 10/11/1972, 40 y/o, Japan player number 355) is in his third season as head coach at Toshiba for the 2013-14 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.
The Captain: New Zealand-born backrower Michael Leitch (DOB: 07/10/1988, 25 y/o, Japan player number 518) is the new captain at Toshiba for the 2013-14 season.
Losses: (7)
Toshiki SAKURAI, 33 y/o (27/02/1980), prop, 185/115, into company workforce after 11 seasons with club.
KIM Kyul (Korea), 28 y/o (04/05/1985), lock, 193/114, 2 caps for Korea, Suntory Foods 2009-10, Coca-Cola 2010-11 and 2011-12. One season with club.
Kentaro KOKUZAWA, 32 y/o (27/03/1981), flanker, 187/103, into company workforce after 10 seasons with club.
Neil BREW (NZL), 34 y/o (08/03/1979), wing/centre, 182/96, NPC Otago, S12 Highlanders and Bristol (Eng). He has represented NZ Maori. To NEC after 4 seasons with club.
Atsushi FUJIYA, 31 y/o (30/04/1982), wing, 181/91, into company workforce after 8 seasons with club.
Tasuku SATO, 26 y/o (27/11/1986), wing, 176/83, into company workforce after 4 seasons with club.
Tsutomu MATSUDA, 43 y/o (30/04/1970), fullback, 180/90, 43 caps for Japan, into company workforce after 20 seasons with club.
Gains: (10)
Takuro YONEYA, 22 y/o (12/12/1990), prop, 180/118, from Chuo Univ.
Ren MURAYAMA, 23 y/o (12/10/1990), hooker/No8, 180/110, from Tokai Univ.
LEE Kwang-Moon (Korea), 30 y/o (04/08/1983), lock, 188/105, Suntory 2008-9, Korea Power Co., Toyota 2011-12 and 2012-13, he has represented Korea at full national level and also at Sevens.
Takahiro OGAWA, 22 y/o (18/03/1991), halfback, 172/73, from Nihon Univ, he has represented Japan at Junior Japan level.
Richard KAHUI (NZL), 28 y/o (09/06/1985), centre, 190/101, 18 caps for All Blacks, SR Highlanders and Chiefs, NPC Waikato.
Cooper VUNA (NZL), 26 y/o (07/05/1987), centre, 180/104, 2 caps for Wallabies, SR Rebels, NRL.
Taiki MATSUNOBU, 23 y/o (25/04/1990), centre, 186/92, from Kwansei Gakuin Univ, he has represented Japan at Sevens level.
CHAE Jae-Young (Korea), 29 y/o (19/04/1984), wing, 183/95, he has ten test caps for Korea, from Samsung.
Tatsunori KAYANO, 23 y/o (12/10/1990), wing, 174/75, from Nippon Bunri Univ.
Epeli NAKOLINIVALU (Fiji), 24 y/o (30/06/1989), wing, 181/92, from Dohto Univ.
Overseas Players & Staff: (10 + 1)
Nataniela OTO (Japan/Tonga) 35 y/o (16/05/1978), flanker/centre, 173/95, 11th 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 (NZL), 33 y/o (16/01/1980), flanker/No8, 191/110, 6th year, NPC Waikato, SR Chiefs.
David HILL (NZL), 35 y/o (31/07/1978), five-eighth, 186/103, 6th 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), 26 y/o (19/11/1986), prop, 186/112, 5th year. He has represented the USA at U19 level.
Michael LEITCH (NZL/Japan), 25 y/o (07/10/1988), flanker/No8, 189/105, 3rd year, from Tokai Univ, he has represented Japan at High School, U20, Sevens and has 29 caps at the full national level.
LEE Kwang-Moon (Korea), 30 y/o (04/08/1983), lock, 188/105, 1st year, Suntory 2008-9, Korea Power Co., Toyota 2011-12 and 2012-13, he has represented Korea at full national level and also at Sevens.
Richard KAHUI (NZL), 28 y/o (09/06/1985), centre, 190/101, 1st year, 18 caps for All Blacks, SR Highlanders and Chiefs, NPC Waikato.
Cooper VUNA (NZL), 26 y/o (07/05/1987), centre, 180/104, 1st year, 2 caps for Wallabies, SR Rebels, NRL.
CHAE Jae-Young (Korea), 29 y/o (19/04/1984), wing, 183/95, 1st year, he has ten test caps for Korea, from Samsung.
Epeli NAKOLINIVALU (Fiji), 24 y/o (30/06/1989), wing, 181/92, 1st year, from Dohto Univ.
Joe BARAKAT (AUS).
The 2013-14 Squad: (47) The list starts with captain and vice-captains and then continues through forwards and backs in order from props to fullbacks.
Michael Leitch (c), Yuta Mochizuki (v-c), Tomohiro Semba (v-c). Forwards: Tomohiro Kubo, Daisuke Estrella, Takuma Asahara, Masataka Mikami, Keiichi Tanaka, Takuro Yoneya, Hiroki Yuhara, Takahiro Takaki, Futoshi Mori, Ren Murayama, Hitoshi Ono, Lee Kwang-Moon, Shunsuke Amemiya, Kyosuke Kajikawa, Keisuke Matsuda, Eiri Nakada, Nataniela Oto, Steven Bates, Tomoaki Nakai, Hiroshi Yamamoto and Masato Toyoda. Backs: Tomoki Yoshida, Jun Fujii, Shuhei Oshima, Takahiro Ogawa, David Hill, Kuniaki Takayama, Yoshikazu Morita, Ryohei Yoshida, Richard Kahui, Cooper Vuna, Taiki Watanabe, Keisuke Masuda, Taiki Matsunobu, Toshiaki Hirose, Chae Jae-Young, Takehisa Usuzuki, Shin Ito, Daisuke Natsui, Tatsunori Kayano, Epeli Nakolinivalu, Goshi Tachikawa, Hiroki Yoshida and Shohei Toyoshima. Coach: Kenichi Wada (40).
The 21st National Club Championship
The Club Championship will kick off with the first round on 8 December 2013, followed by the second round on 12 and 19 January 2014 with the semis on 16 February and the final at Hanazono on Sunday, 2 March 2014.
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