Brave Lupus Tokyo center Seta Tamanivalu (2nd from left) and teammates react after beating the Kobe Steelers in a Japan Rugby League One match at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo on Dec. 5, 2025. (Kyodo)
TOKYO (Kyodo) — Seta Tamanivalu marked his 50th appearance for Brave Lupus Tokyo with the opening try Sunday as the defending champions held off the Kobe Steelers 32-26 and notched their third straight win to start the Japan Rugby League One season.
Former New Zealand and Fiji international Tamanivalu put Brave Lupus on the board in the fifth minute after receiving an offload from Shannon Frizell, who got the ball from a lineout near the opposing 22 at Tokyo’s Ajinomoto Stadium.
With star flyhalf Richie Mo’unga out of the squad, home-grown No. 10 Takuro Matsunaga orchestrated the attack for head coach Todd Blackadder for the second game in a row.
Brave Lupus led a close contest 20-12 when Kobe prop Kauvaka Kaivelata’s 61st-minute red card, upgraded from a yellow, stacked the odds against Dave Rennie’s Steelers.
Japan winger Jone Naikabula added two late tries to seal the result before Kobe fullback Kanta Matsunaga cut the final margin with his converted effort at the death.
“We stayed in a real arm-wrestle all the way to the very end,” said Blackadder, who praised Matsunaga’s game management against a tough Kobe defense. “It’s not easy stepping into some very big shoes, but I thought he drove the team really well and dealt with a lot of pressure.”
The former All Blacks captain also paid tribute to 32-year-old center Tamanivalu, describing him as “an inspiration” for the rest of the team.
“I’ve known Seta for a long time and it’s just great to see him have a great milestone,” Blackadder said. “But also too, he’s been playing some fantastic rugby.”
In Sunday’s other top-division match, the Kubota Spears came back to beat Mie Heat 32-27 in a see-sawing clash at Suzuka Sports Garden.
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Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2025-01-05 13:47:52
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