Super Rugby Preview: Sunwolves

Ahead of the 2017 season we take a closer look at each of the 18 teams participating in this year’s tournament. Next up, the Sunwolves.

Japan’s sole Super Rugby franchise went through a tricky first year in the competition, with more lows than highs, and an enormous squad overhaul and new head coach in Filo Tiatia means that there is little consistency for the Sunwolves heading into 2017.

Year two once again sees matches split between Tokyo and Singapore, and after one win from 15 matches last season, the only way is up.

Last year: The Sunwolves’ first-ever Super Rugby match ended in defeat in Tokyo against eventual finalists the Lions, and after returning from their bye they came so close to a first victory, falling 31-32 to the Cheetahs. A large defeat to the Rebels was followed by narrow losses, by seven points or less, to the Bulls and Kings, before they were well beaten in Cape Town by the Stormers.

Then came their lowest moment, a 92-17 thrashing from the Cheetahs which raised questions about the validity of their place in the competition. To their credit the Sunwolves produced the perfect response, returning to Tokyo and securing their first-ever Super Rugby win over fellow newcomers the Jaguares.

Aside from a 17-17 draw with the Stormers, the 2016 season concluded with defeats to the Force, Reds, Brumbies, Waratahs, Bulls and Sharks.

This year: Not too much should be read from the Sunwolves’ underwhelming 24-14 win over a Japan All-Stars team, featuring the likes of Akihito Yamada who was one of the top try scorers in the whole of Super Rugby last season but will not be returning to the squad, much like the experienced Tusi Pisi who is now with Bristol.

Tiatia’s side used the warm-up fixture to try out some new combinations and give minutes to the likes of new fly-half Hayden Cripps. The sooner that stability is achieved across the starting XV the better, and the hope is that more preparation time this season, although still less than other sides, will help them in the initial stages.

Focusing on the schedule, there is no tougher start than taking on reigning champions the Hurricanes but if the Sunwolves can pick up results from their following matches with the Kings and Cheetahs then that will build vital confidence for the year ahead.

Back in the Africa 1 Conference, it would take a quite significant collapse from the Bulls or Stormers for the Sunwolves to clinch top spot.

Key players: One of the Sunwolves’ best signings has to be Fumiaki Tanaka, the former Highlanders scrum-half who has spent several seasons at this level and won the title with his old side back in 2015. Tanaka’s crisp delivery, threat around the fringes and his leadership make him an excellent recruit.

Captain Ed Quirk is another obvious key figure with a big role to play, and he was one of the top ten tacklers in the competition last season.

Meanwhile there will be high hopes that Kotaro Matsushima, the Japan full-back, can replicate Yamada’s try-scoring efforts from last year as he arrives from the Melbourne Rebels, having impressed at Test level for Japan in 2016.

Players to watch: Those familiar with the Cheetahs will no doubt remember Willie Britz, another recruit for the new season after plying his trade in the Top League over the past few years, and his combination with Quirk in the back-row should give the Sunwolves plenty of strength when it comes to ball carriers and ability at the breakdown.

Timothy Lafaele, the Samoan-born Japan international, is another intriguing prospect who can offer the side real power in midfield.

Prospects: This feels like another season of growth for the Sunwolves rather than a campaign focused on competing for honours, and with a new head coach and largely new playing squad it may take some time to get up to speed. A shock win or two along the way however is not out of the question.

Players In: Kohei Asahori (from Toyota Verblitz), Heiichiro Ito (from Yamaha Júbilo), Yasuo Yamaji (from Canon Eagles), Takeshi Hino (from Yamaha Júbilo), Yusuke Niwai (from Canon Eagles), Kyosuke Kajikawa (from Toshiba Brave Lupus) Sam Wykes (from Coca-Cola Red Sparks), Willie Britz (from Cheetahs), Uwe Helu (from Yamaha Júbilo), Shunsuke Nunomaki (from Panasonic Wild Knights), Malgene Ilaua (from Toshiba Brave Lupus), Shuhei Matsuhashi (from Ricoh Black Rams), Yuhimaru Mimura (from Yamaha Júbilo), Yoshitaka Tokunaga (from Toshiba Brave Lupus), Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco (from NTT Shining Arcs), Takahiro Ogawa (from Toshiba Brave Lupus), Fumiaki Tanaka (from Highlanders), Keisuke Uchida (from Panasonic Wild Knights), Hayden Cripps (from Tokyo Gas), Jumpei Ogura (from NTT Shining Arcs), Hikaru Tamura (from Toshiba Brave Lupus), Michael Bond (from Coca-Cola Red Sparks), Timothy Lafaele (from Coca-Cola Red Sparks), Will Tupou (from Coca-Cola Red Sparks), Shota Emi (from Suntory Sungoliath), Kenki Fukuoka (from Panasonic Wild Knights), Teruya Goto (from NEC Green Rockets), Ataata Moeakiola (from Tokai University), Takaaki Nakazuru (from Suntory Sungoliath), Kotaro Matsushima (from Rebels)

Players Out: Shohei Hirano (to Panasonic Wild Knights), Shinnosuke Kakinaga (to Suntory Sungoliath), Ryuhei Arita (to Coca-Cola Red Sparks), Futoshi Mori (to Toshiba Brave Lupus), Tim Bond (released), Yoshiya Hosoda (to NEC Green Rockets), Taiyo Ando (to Toyota Verblitz) Andrew Durutalo (to USA Sevens), Tsuyoshi Murata (to NEC Green Rockets), Fa’atiga Lemalu (to Munakata Sanix Blues), Tomás Leonardi (to Leicester Tigers), Atsushi Hiwasa (to Suntory Sungoliath), Daisuke Inoue (to Kubota Spears), Tusi Pisi (to Bristol), Mifiposeti Paea (to NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes), Ryohei Yamanaka (to Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers), Kentaro Kodama (to Rebels), Viliami Lolohea (to Tasman), John Stewart (released), Akihito Yamada (to Panasonic Wild Knights), Hajime Yamashita (to Toyota Industries Shuttles)

Fixtures

Saturday, February 25 v Hurricanes (Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo)
Saturday, March 4 v Kings (Singapore National Stadium, Singapore)
Saturday, March 11 v Cheetahs (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)
Friday, March 17 v Bulls (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, March 25 v Stormers (Singapore National Stadium, Singapore)
Round 6: BYE
Saturday, April 8 v Bulls (Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo)
Friday, April 14 v Crusaders (AMI Stadium, Christchurch)
Saturday, April 22 v Highlanders (Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill)
Saturday, April 29 v Chiefs (FMG Stadium, Waikato)
Saturday, May 6 v Jaguares (Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires)
Round 12: BYE
Saturday, May 20 v Sharks (Singapore National Stadium, Singapore)
Saturday, May 27 v Cheetahs (Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo)
Saturday, July 1 v Lions (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, July 8 v Stormers (Newlands, Cape Town)
Saturday, July 15 v Blues (Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo)

Photo credit: Sunwolves website