The Kubota Spears, Funabashi Tokyo Bay, and Saitama Wild Knights are the only unbeaten teams left in the Japan Rugby League top division after four rounds of action.<\/b><\/p>\n
This after the Spears beat Mie Honda Heat 21-45 at the weekend, while the Knights were made to work hard for their 37-22 victory over the Kwagga Smith-led Shizuoka Blue Revs.<\/p>\n
Spears and Knights continue their winning ways<\/p>\n
2025 World Rugby Player of the Year and Springboks<\/a> hooker Malcolm Marx<\/a> played a central role for Kubota as they cruised to a 31-0 half-time lead.<\/p>\n He provided the assist to ex-Wallabies playmaker Bernard Foley in the 10th minute of the clash, throwing a wonderful offload to the fly-half who simply had to flop over the line to notch up the first try of the game.<\/p>\n The lineout was the source of the second try too, which was powerfully finished off by centre Halatoa Vailea, while the third was rounded out by newly-capped Japan international Tyler Paul off the back of a strong driving maul. Former All Blacks and Chiefs\u2019 outside back Shaun Stevenson converted the try from outwide with a brilliant kick to hand his side a 19-0 lead after just 19 minutes.<\/p>\n Former Stormers centre Rikus Pretorius inspired the next try not too long after as he scooped up a poor pass inside his own 22 and cantered away before linking up with a teammate. The Spears completed the counterattack with Stevenson running in untouched out wide.<\/p>\n The Spears\u2019 points scoring slowed from then on, but Frans Ludeke\u2019s men had one final score left in them before the break as loosehead prop Yota Kamimimora muscled over from close range.<\/p>\n Into the second half and Pretorius ran a smart line to further his side\u2019s advantage before providing the assist for Haruto Kida\u2019s try in the 56th minute.<\/p>\n The winless Honda made the scoreline look more respectable in the final quarter, scoring three tries through Ryoma Nioshimura, Tevita Ikanivere and Dawid Kellerman, by which time it was far too late to cause the Spears any kind of worry.<\/p>\n The result means that the Spears remain top of the Japan Rugby League One<\/a> table after four rounds of action, while the Pablo Mater and Franco Mostert-powered Honda sit just above the Canon Eagles at the foot of the table, having collected just two bonus points so far.<\/p>\n Cheslin Kolbe\u2019s gamble proves costly after Sam Cane\u2019s \u2018stupid\u2019 red card in defeat to Ardie Savea\u2019s Kobe<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Ex-Springbok \u2018close to tears\u2019 over Bulls shocker as fans slam \u2018woeful\u2019 performance in defeat to Bristol Bears<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Wild Knights second-half surge<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Saitama Wild Knights have continued their fine run of form this season \u2013 their first campaign since 2014 that has been led by Robbie Deans.<\/p>\n The former Wallabies boss handed over the head coaching reins to Atsushi Kanazawa at the start of the season, and his men blew the Shizuoka BlueRevs away in the second half of Saturday\u2019s 37-22 win.<\/p>\n The BlueRevs are the only side to have beaten the Wild Knights twice in the regular season since League One began, and Kwagga Smith\u2019s men looked set to be troublesome again after they got the better of the first half to lead 15-8 at the break.<\/p>\n However, their supremacy didn\u2019t last, with the lead gobbled up by five tries in the final 30 minutes as the home side raced to a try-scoring bonus point in their fourth win of the season.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Former Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete put in a starring performance for the Knights, assisting two tries and racking up over 120 metres, while Springbok De Allende was a driving force in the midfield throughout the 80 minutes.<\/p>\n Ben Gunter, Lachlan Boshie, Kumsu Lee, Koki Takeyama and Liam Mitchelle were among the try-scorers for the Knights, who only trail the Spears by points difference.<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n