1. Wild Knights and Toshiba are the early pacesetters in Division 1
Last season’s beaten League One Play-Off finalists Saitama Wild Knights have surged out of the blocks this season.
Winners of the inaugural League One campaign in 2022, Robbie Dean’s side has made a faultless start to the new campaign.
The Wild Knights blew away Faf de Klerk’s Yokohama Canon Eagles 53-12 in an eye-catching round one result.
Blessed with a well-balanced XV and a backline bursting with firepower including Australian wing Marika Koroibete and a settled centre pairing of double World Cup winner Damian de Allende (below) and Japan international Dylan Riley, the Kumagaya-based outfit have been ruthless.
In round two, Will Genia and Quade Cooper’s Hanazono Kintetsu Liners were routed 49-0 before Amato Fakatava and Hadleigh Parkes’ Ricoh Black Rams were overwhelmed 44-17 in round three on Saturday.
Japan fly-half Rikiya Matsuda has shone with 25 points from his boot while Dylan Riley has helped himself to three tries.
The Wild Knights host Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith’s Toyota Verblitz on 6 January.
The only other undefeated team in Division is Toshiba Brave Lupus.
Todd Blackadder’s team narrowly missed the play-off cut last season as they finished fifth behind Suntory, Yokohama, Saitama and Kubota.
The Fuchu-based team are a completely different proposition this term with All Black’s Richie Mo'unga and Shannon Frizell being instrumental in their impressive early season form.
Toshiba launched their season with a dogged 43-30 victory over Kwagga Smith’s Shizuoka Blue Revs before outgunning Suntory Sungoliath 26-19 in the Fuchu derby.
Michael Leitch’s men showed their grit as they bested previously unbeaten Kobelco Kobe Steelers on Sunday as Frizell and Mo'unga came up against their New Zealand teammates Ardie Savea and Brodie Retallick.
Toshiba face defending champions Kubota next on 7 January in Kanagawa.
2. Frans Ludeke has to turn champions Kubota around
Defending champions Kubota Spears lost one game all season last term on their way to their first League One title.
After round three in 2023-2024, Kubota has already lost two games.
The once-beaten Chiba-based side was unstoppable in their charge to glory last season.
After head coach Frans Ludeke missed out on the Japan national team coaching job to Eddie Jones 10 days ago things have gone from bad to worse for Kubota.
Ludeke’s side, who recruited All Blacks hooker Dane Coles and Wales full-back Liam Williams for this season, were convincingly beaten by rivals Suntory in round one 52-26.
Kubota banished that disappointing display by demolishing division 1 newcomers Honda Heat 75-0 but slipped to an agonising defeat on Saturday in round three courtesy of Charles Piutau and Bryn Hall’s Blue Revs.
Ludeke called upon Coles and Williams for the first time in round three but their presence failed to help the Spears prosper on Christmas Eve.
Former Australia fly-half Bernard Foley, who has a haul of 36 points for the reigning champions, injured himself in scoring his teams opening try on Sunday.
After a heavy landing on his right elbow Foley was stretchered off and handed the kicking duties to veteran South African full-back Gerard van den Heever.
Former Munster player van den Heever has looked sharp for Kubota and blossoming winger Haruto Kida, who practiced karate growing up, has crossed in round two and three after bursting onto the scene last season.
Kubota are yet to make an official announcement about Foley’s injury.
3. Liners, Rams and Honda Heat remain winless
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, Ricoh Black Rams and Mie Honda Heat are the only teams yet to record a win in division 1 this season.
Osaka-based Liners only retained their place in Japan’s top-flight by defeating Urayasu D-Rocks in a promotion/relegation play-off in 2022-2023.
The Black Rams made a similarly slow start last season before vastly improving as they finished a respectable seventh with former England international Nathan Hughes and utility back Isaac Lucas, along with Fakatava, being crucial to their turnaround in the second half of the season.
Honda Heat earned promotion to division 1 at the expense of the NEC Green Rockets who Pablo Matera’s team beat in back-to-back promotion/relegation games.
Heat are rooted to the bottom of the table having conceded a whopping 189 points in just three games.
Kieran Crowley’s side raised eyebrows when they signed Tevita Li from Suntory in May and retained the services of two-time World Cup-winning Springbok Franco Mostert but have only scored 31 points.
The bottom three sides at the end of the season will play the top three division two sides and Heat have the most ground to make up in order to retain their seat at Japanese rugby’s top table.
4. Four-star Shannon Frizzell becomes joint top try scorer
Star-studded Toshiba Brave Lupus has made a blistering start to the season to establish themselves as title contenders.
All Blacks’ rampaging flanker Shannon Frizell - who prior to his first New Zealand Test start in 2018 could have represented Wales as his father Andrew hails from Swansea - has unsurprisingly lit up League One.
The former Highlander (above) has cemented his place as a key player for his country to the extent that NZR are believed to have made sure that his Japan stint will be only be for one season and he’ll be eligible to play for the All Blacks next summer.
The hulking 6ft 5in, 108kg standout is a frightening prospect for opposition defences with ball in hand and he showed his devastating power with a second of the campaign in round two against Suntory.
Frizell was the four-star hero on Sunday as he inspired Brave Lupus to see off Kobe with a scintillating display.
The Tonga-born forward powered over the whitewash from close range in the first half and then ripped the ball from a maul to grab an emphatic second try. His hat-trick was completed when he pounced on a loose ball after the hosts tired to stroll over for his easiest score of the game before he added a fourth to rubber stamp his Player of The Match award.
Frizell now finds himself as the joint top scorer in League One Division One alongside teammate and Japanese wing Jone Naikabura.
5. Bryn Gatland leads scoring charts
Former Chiefs fly-half Bryn Gatland has been a points scoring machine for Kiwi-laden Kobelco Kobe Steelers.
Kobe, who finished a lowly ninth last season, just one place above the promotion-relegation shake-up, put the league on notice with their round one 80-15 demolition job on Honda Heat.
They edged out the Blue Revs 30-26 a week later before coming undone against Toshiba in round three.
However, Gatland, has kept the scoreboard ticking over almost at will for his new side and after three rounds he is the league’s top points scorer.
Gatland has kicked 40 points for contenders Kobe ahead of the Blue Revs’ Kenta Iemura who has 39 points and the now injured Bernard Foley.
Japan fly-half Lee Seung-sin has slotted into an inside centre role since Gatland’s signature and has scored 14 points including two tries.
Kobe will bid to return to winning ways when they visit Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground to play heavy-hitting Suntory Sungoliath on 6 January.
Pictures courtesy of Wild Knights, Kubota and Toshiba
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