Malcolm Marx is No 1 in Japan League 1 Team of the Year
Malcolm Marx has been mighty in the Japan League 1 this season. He is one of three Springboks named in the league’s Team of the Year.
Springboks hooker Marx plays for Kubota Spears, beaten in Saturday’s final played in front of a crowd in excess of 50 000.
Former Bulls Super Rugby double winner Frans Ludeke coaches the Spears.
Marx, who is the best hooker in the world, signed an extension of his club career to the end of the 2027 season, just before the Springboks’ attempt at a third successive World Cup.
SA RUGBY MAG ON MARX’S EXTENSION
Wild Knights inside centre Damian de Allende was a popular choice of the best No 12 in the league, and loose-forward Kwagga Smith also made the TEAM of the YEAR in a loose-trio that was completed by New Zealand-born Japan captain Michael Leitch and former Highlanders flanker Billy Harman.
The Wild Knights, coached by former Wallabies coach, Crusaders coach and All Blacks assistant coach Robbie Deans, lost the third and fourth play-off.
Deans and his coaching team will take charge of the Barbarians historic clash against the Springboks in Cape Town on 28th June.
Barbarians to play in South Africa against the Springboks for the first time in 135 years
For South Africans, the only surprise would be that lock Lood de Jager and winger Cheslin Kolbe did not make the final XV.
Kolbe, as we have seen week-on-week has been superb and, over and above his try-scoring exploits, he has been doing a lot of goal kicking.
De Jager is the revelation for the Springboks and for Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus.
De Jager, who was so strong for the Boks in the build-up to the 2019 World Cup final, has experienced health issues in between World Cups and missed the 2023 World Cup because of these issues. There were fears that his career may be over, but to observe him playing with such consistency in the Japanese League One, also known as Division One, has been the most welcome of news for South African supporters.
Smith, captain of the Blue Revs, were stopped at the quarter-finals after finishing fourth. They won 14 matches in the league stages and were dubbed the Cinderella story of the league.
Kolbe’s lost in the semi-finals but got the win the play-off for third and fourth.
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AAP lauded former All Blacks flyhalf Richie Mo’unga for winning the trans-Tasman battle of the Test fly-halves, with his Brave Lupus Tokyo beating Aussie Bernard Foley’s Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay 18-13 in the Japan Rugby League One final.
The 31-year-old, lured to Fuchu by his former Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder last year, added his second Japanese title to the seven he won in Super Rugby.
The All Black scored his 11th try of the season in the eighth minute to give Brave Lupus the early advantage in an even first half, which ended 8-6 in the defending champions’ favour after Mo’unga added a penalty goal.
Wallaby flyhalf Foley was on target twice with three-pointers for the Spears.
Brave Lupus took control after halftime, pushing out to a 12-point lead when winger Yuto Mori scored his side’s second try, which was converted by Mo’unga, who then added a second penalty goal.
It was the club’s seventh title since a nationwide round-robin league was introduced 22 years ago.
Sunday’s game at Tokyo’s National Stadium was watched by a crowd of 51,009.
Meanwhile, there was no fond farewell for former Wallabies Quade Cooper and Will Genia when the Hanazono Liners lost in their final game in Japan Rugby League One.
Hanazono needed to overcome a four-point deficit from the first leg of their promotion series against Mie Heat on Friday night (Saturday AEST).
They were unable to do so, overrun in the second period of a 29-19 defeat after leading 14-10 at halftime.
Cooper produced one last piece of the old magic, combining with Genia in a movement that led to the latter’s 11th try of the season in the ninth minute.
Genia also set up his side’s second try for winger Tomoya Kimura, but the Liners were left to rue their inability to capitalise after Heat twice had men yellow-carded.
Cooper and Genia have yet to say if they plan to continue playing beyond this season.
Midfielder Samu Kerevi turned on another powerful display in his final audition for a place in the Wallabies squad, touching down twice as Urayasu D-Rocks beat Shuttles Aichi 27-21 to retain their Division One status.
Victory was sweet for the Wallaby as his brothers Jone and Josua featured for the Shuttles.
Dave Rennie won the battle of the former Wallaby coaches in the Division One playoff for third and fourth, with Kobelco Kobe Steelers beating the Robbie Deans-coached Saitama Wild Knights 22-17.
Wallaby winger Marika Koroibete was a try-scorer for the Wild Knights.
Mo’unga, who qualifies to play for Tonga at the 2027 World Cup, with New Zealand refusing to pick overseas-based players for the All Blacks, was named played of the final and player of the season.
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