Deans trumps Rennie, Savea in Japan

Robbie Deans has won the battle of the Wallaby coaches in Japan as his Saitama Wild Knights beat Dave Rennie’s Kobe Steelers 28-18 to continue their unbeaten march in League One.

The Wild Knights finished strongly to record their 10th win of the season, scoring the final two tries after Kobe had rallied from a three-point halftime deficit to lead 18-14 with 25 minutes to play.

Saturday’s success came in the first meeting between Deans and his Wallaby successor since the pair were coaching rivals in New Zealand’s national provincial championship 20 years ago. Both won that competition, as well as sharing seven Super Rugby titles between them before embarking on journeys that led to the Wallabies.

Collectively, they coached Australia 108 times, winning 56 of those games, with Deans returning 43 wins from 74 attempts, at 58%, and Rennie 13 from 34 at 38%.

Deans has rewritten the record books since joining the Wild Knights, where he has won the league five times. This matches his titles with the Crusaders, although the win over fourth-placed Kobe suggests he is on track to exceed his Super Rugby achievements.

Kobe remain in the hunt, although they are tied with Yokohama on the ladder.

Rennie will need to work out a plan to get his star man, World Rugby Player of the Year Ardie Savea, into the game after the Wild Knights nullified his threat.

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo remain second after a 41-19 win over the Sagamihara Dynaboars, while Wallaby fullback Tom Banks was a try-scorer as Mie Honda Heat scored their first win of the season, downing Quade Cooper and Will Genia’s winless Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, 20-19.