The 47th National Championship 2009-2010: First Round Preview
First Round
Suntory Sungoliath (Top League 2) v NEC Green Rockets (Top League Wildcard)
Date: Sunday, 7 February 2010.
Venue: Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Ground, Osaka.
Kick-off: 14:00.
Preview
Suntory had eleven wins and two draws in the regular rounds of Top League, including a 41-15 win over NEC in late November in Round 8. Suntory went on to collect second place on the final table with 58 points whereas NEC finished tenth on 25 points from four wins and nine losses.
NEC had an horrendous start to their season but finished with three wins in their last three games to claim the final place in the Wildcard Tournament. NEC then went from strength to strength beating Sanix and then Kubota in the Wildcard Tournament to take one of the two Top League Wildcard entry spots in the National Championship. On the other hand, Suntory progressed to the Top League Play-off Tournament upon completion of the regular season where they went down 35-24 to Toshiba in the semi-finals.
Suntory won the National Championship twice in the pre-Top League era in 2002 and 1996 and since then have played in the last two finals in 2009 and 2008, going down to Sanyo on both occasions. NEC too are no strangers to the National Championship, taking the title in 2002, again in 2005 and then sharing the honours with Toshiba in 2006 after the final was drawn 6-all.
On paper, Suntory should progress to the next round but NEC have found their winning formula with five wins from their last five starts and they are going to push the Sungoliath all the way.
Teikyo University (University 1) v Rokko Fighting Bull (Top Club)
Date: Sunday, 7 February 2010.
Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, Tokyo.
Kick-off: 14:00.
Preview
Teikyo qualified for the National Championship as the top university after they beat Tokai 14-13 at the National Stadium in Tokyo on 10 January. Although it has been four weeks since their last hit out, Teikyo will be keen to take the game to Rokko Fighting Bull, the Top Club side. Rokko ended the long run of the Tamariva Club as club champion and then went on to win the 17th National Club Championship title when they beat Komaba WMM 38-15 in the final on 24 January.
For Teikyo it is their second time in the National Championship under the current format after they qualified last year as the university runner-up to Waseda. On that occasion they held Ricoh, the Top Challenger, to a 25-all draw but lost on the try count. This year, the students will be hoping to progress to the second round where they will face Suntory or NEC. It is the first appearance for Rokko in the Championship and they will he hoping to match it with Teikyo for the full 80 minutes.
Tokai University (University 2) v NTT Communications Shining Arcs (Top Challenger)
Date: Sunday, 7 February 2010.
Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, Tokyo.
Kick-off: 12:00.
Preview
For both Tokai and NTT, this is the first time to play in the National Championship under the current format. Tokai reached the university final for the first time this year where they narrowly lost to Teikyo 14-13. However, by reaching the final they automatically qualified for the Championship as the university runner-up. On the other hand, NTT made a clean sweep of the Top Challenge series beating Mazda and Toyota Jido Shokki to not only gain promotion to Top League for the first time for next season but also qualify for the National Championship as the Top Challenger.
NTT are on a roll at the moment and they will be confident of overcoming the exuberance and fitness of the Tokai students to book a second round seat against either Toyota or Kobe. However, Tokai will be trying to play the game at pace and run the top Kanto side ragged.
Toyota Verblitz (Top League 4) v Kobe Steelers (Top League Wildcard)
Date: Sunday, 7 February 2010.
Venue: Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Ground, Osaka.
Kick-off: 12:00.
Preview
As it turns out, this first round clash pits Toyota, the team that finished fourth in Top League against fifth placed Kobe. Toyota had a close 23-17 win over Kobe at the Homes Stadium in Kobe in Round 10 in a string of six wins on the trot and they will be looking to repeat the dose here.
Toyota qualified for the Top League Play-offs from fourth place where they played top placed Sanyo in the semi-finals. Sanyo proved too good in the end edging out Verblitz 25-21. The top four finishers automatically qualified for the Championship, but in contrast, Kobe had to do it the hard way to reach the National Championship after they beat Coca-Cola in the Wildcard Tournament.
Toyota won the National Championship back in 1987, 1978 and 1969 but the closest they got to the title after that was when they lost 19-10 to Toshiba in the 2007 final. Not to be outdone, Kobe have won the national crown nine times, including seven-in-a-row in the late 1980s through to the mid 1990s with their last appearance in a final coming in 2004 when they lost to Toshiba.
There is very little between these two proud clubs once again this year and the difference between winning and losing could come down to something simple like a missed penalty.
Japan Rugby News 
