All Blacks stars Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell will go head-to-head with Springboks star Malcolm Marx and former Wallaby Bernard Foley in the Japan Rugby League One final.
Fly-half Mo’unga and hooker Marx both played crucial roles in their respective teams’ semi-final wins, with Mo’unga kicking five penalties in Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo’s 31-3 victory over Kobelco Kobe Steelers, while Marx scored a try after just three minutes in Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay’s 28-24 win over Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights.
All Blacks and Springboks stars to face-off
Marx’s Spears now prepare for their second Japan Rugby League One final in three years after his side held off the Wild Knights 28-24 in a gripping second semi-final.
The Springboks hooker, who was sorely missed during last year’s failed title defence after rupturing his medial ligament at the Rugby World Cup, scored his 10th try of the season in the third minute to give his side momentum, and the Wild Knights were always a step behind in the game from there.
Shinobu Fujiwara bagged the Spears’ second try moments later, as he charged down a clearance kick to score.
Tries from Wild Knights duo Koki Takeyama and flyhalf Kyohei Yamasawa saw them close the game back to 25-24, after initially trailing by 15 points, but the Spears managed to hold them out and book their place in the final.
That victory sets up a date with Mo’unga’s Brave Lupus side, who waltzed into the showpiece event with a big win over Kobe.
They scored four tries along the way to their 31-3 win, including a brace from former Maori All Black Rob Thompson, and could have added two more as well.
Ex-All Blacks playmaker Mo’unga was the star of the show, though, with his kicks also pushing them towards the final, including a mammoth 45-metre penalty goal.
Elsewhere, former England international Freddie Burns helped his Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi side beat Urayasu D-Rocks 43-42 in the first-leg of their relegation play-off.
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/all-blacks-and-springboks-stars-to-renew-fierce-rivalry-in-japan-showpiece-after-inspired-semi-final-performances
