In February 11 and 12 2017, the Brisbane Global Tens is hold in Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium. The Brisbane Global Tens is the tournament of Rugby tens, 10 Super Rugby teams of Australia and New Zealand take part in this tournament. Then the Panasonic Wild knights of Japan Top League, the RC Toulon of Top 14, the Blue Bulls of South Africa and Samoa national rugby union team (known as Manu Samoa) also participate in this event. Each team divides into 4 pools and plays qualifying.
The Panasonic Wild Knights were 3rd place in 16/17 Top League, and they were 2nd place in Japan Rugby Championship 2017. In Brisbane Global Tens, the members that signed up with the Sunwolves of Super Rugby are not participating, as Shota Horie, Keita Inagaki, Fumiaki Tanaka, Shunsuke Nunomaki and Yasutaka Sasakura. And David Pocock of Australia national rugby union team（Wallabies) does not take part in this tournament.
So there are many young players in the squad of Wild Knights. The members of Wild Knights are as follows;
☆：Japan national rugby union player of 2016 Autumn Internationals
★：Japan national rugby union player of 2015 World Cup
FW: Asaeli Ai Valu, Atsushi Sakate, Naoki Kawamata, Kotaro Yatabe (☆) , Daniel Heenan, Masaki Tani, Ryota Hasegawa, Yoichi Iijima, Ben Gunter, Ryu Koliniasi Holani (★) , Jack Cornelsen, Emerson Tamura
BK: Taiki Koyama, Yuta Takagi, Takuya Yamasawa, Berrick Barnes, Rikiya Matsuda, Akihito Yamada (☆★) , Yasuki Hayashi, Yuga Hyakutake, Keisuke Moriya, Tomoki Kitagawa, Iori Kaji, Yoshikazu Fujita (★) , Kentaro Kodama, Tadahiro Miwa
The Wild Knights join pool A with the Chiefs, the Melbourne Rebels and the Waratahs of Super Rugby. In the first match, the Wild Knights play against the Waratahs. Taqele Naiyaravoro played in the Wild Knights in 16/17 Top League, but he plays against the Wild Knights as a member of the Waratahs in the Brisbane Global Tens.
【Add first match’s report on February 11: In the 5th minute of the first half, Ben Gunter got a try and the Wild Knights scored the first. But in the 9th minute, Matt Lucas of the Waratahs also scored a try and the score was tie 5 to 5. After that, Kentaro Kodama got a try and a conversion kick in the 14th minute of the second half, the Wild Knights took the lead in score of 12 to 5. And in the 17th minute, Berrick Barnes scored a penalty goal so the score was 15 to 5. Finally, the Wild Knights beat the Waratahs 15 to 5.】
In the second match, the Wild knights play against the Rebels. Amanaki Lelei Mafi of Japan national rugby union player is the squad of Rebels. kentaro Kodama also signed up with the Rebels in 2017 season, but he participates as Wild Nights’s player.
【Add second match’s report on February 11: In the 2nd minute of the first half, Jonah Placid got a try and the Rebels scored the first. But in the 5th minute, Ryu Koliniasi Holani also scored a try and the score was tie 5 to 5. And in the 10th minute Yoshikazu Fujita kicked the ball where no one was there, and catched himself. He got a try easily so the Wild Knights took the lead in score of 10 to 5. After that, both teams got a try and a conversion kick in the second half. Finally, the Wild Knights beat the Rebels 17 to 12.
The youtube’s videos are the interview for Robbie Deans of Wild knights head coach, Daniel Heenan and Berrick Barnes after second match.】
In the third match, the Wild knights play against the Chiefs. The Chiefs Michael Leitch who was the captain of Japan national rugby union team at the World Cup 2015 regrettably does not participate in this tournament.
【Add third match’s report on February 12: In the 4th minute of the first half, Taleni Seu got a try and a conversion kick was good, the Chiefs scored the first. After that, the Chiefs scored 2 tries and the conversion kick was also good, the Chiefs took the lead in score of 21 to 0. In the second half, the Chiefs got 2 tries and a conversion kick. Then Ryota Hasegawa scored a try in the 19th minute, the Wild Knights took the point at last. Finally the Chiefs beat the Wild Knights 33 to 5. The Wild Knights were already confirmed to advance the knockout-stage, so they preserved the players in this match.】
The Japanese are looking forward to the match of Wild Knights and Ayumu Goromaru. Goromaru is the squad of Toulon and the Toulon join pool D. So hopefully the Wild Knights will play against the Toulon in the Semi-final.
【Add the Quarter final match’s report on February 12: The Wild knights played against the Crusaders. In the 1st minute of the first half, George Bridge got a try and the Crusaders scored the first. And the 6th minute, Seta Tamanivalu got a try and a conversion kick was good, the Crusaders took the lead in score of 12 to 0. After that, Daniel Heenan of the Wild Knights scored a try and conversion kick was good in the 19th minute of the second half. Finally the Crusaders beat the Wild Knights 12 to 7. By the way, the Toulon missed the cut and the Chiefs won the first ever Brisbane Global Rugby Tens.
The youtube’s video is the press conference for Robbie Deans of Wild knights head coach, Daniel Heenan and Berrick Barnes after Quarter final.】
This youtube’s video is the promotion movie of Brisbane Global Tens 2017. This tournament will be held for 4 years, so we would like to expect the Wild Knights next year’s success!
