Rugby League One opened on the 17th, and last season's inaugural champion Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights beat Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 22-19, getting off to a good start toward their second straight win.
Rugby league one, which celebrated its second season, opened on the 17th with 23 teams from "Division 1" to "Division 3", which is the first division.
Of these, "Division 1" had three matches on the 17th, and in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, last season's inaugural champions, the Wild Knights, and 4th place Brave Lupus played against each other.
Both teams have many players who are active in the Japanese national team, and the Wild Knights have captain and hooker Atsushi Sakate and prop Keita Inagaki, and the Brave Lupus have number eight Leach, his Michael, and rock Warner A. Dianes played in the starting lineup.
In the early stages, the Wild Knights were pushed by the opponent at the point of contact, and Leach scored a try, temporarily allowing the Wild Knights to lead by 13 points.
Even so, Sakate's try caught them up, and they finished the first half with a score of 12-16. In the 15th minute of the second half, Rikiya MATSUDA, a stand-off who had returned from injury, scored a try from a sharp run and scored a kick to make it 19-16. and reversed.
Afterwards, Japan equalized the score with a penalty goal, but they were unable to concede a goal with their characteristic defense, and in the 31st minute, YAMAZAWA Takuya, who is active in the Japanese national team, scored a penalty goal to take the lead.
The Wild Knights won a close game 22-19 and got off to a good start to their second straight League One title.
On the other hand, Brave Lupus made a lot of mistakes in the second half, especially in defense, and couldn't keep the lead in the first half.
League One will have league matches and playoffs until May next year, and will be an important venue for strengthening the team ahead of the World Cup starting in September.
Wild Knights Sakate "Growth is important in League One"
Atsushi Sakate, captain of the Wild Knights, said, "It's great that we were able to win the first game. There were many penalties due to pressure from the opponent, but we want to make adjustments from here. By winning. We will move forward in a positive way,” he said.
Also, looking ahead to the World Cup in September next year, he said, "We cannot compete in the World Cup unless we raise another level. It is important to grow in League One."
Brave Lupus Reach "I'm so frustrated, I'm half happy"
Leach Michael of Brave Lupus, who lost, looked back on the match, saying, "I'm very disappointed about the result. However, there were some good parts that continued the momentum of last season, so I'm half happy."
Regarding the cause of the loss, he said, "We couldn't maintain discipline as a team. We were able to concentrate when we were tired. That's where we made a difference. We're confident in our defense, so we'll have to make adjustments."