Rugby: Brave Lupus aim to retain League One title in trademark style
Speaking ahead of Sunday's championship decider at Tokyo's National Stadium, Japan international Dearns said they would continue emphasizing the expansive, attacking rugby that yielded a league-best 741 points on their way to first place in the regular season.
"We're a team that moves the ball," Dearns said. "If we can attack with the style that we have honed, we can win."
The Todd Blackadder-coached team will also be confident of their defensive resilience after stopping the Kobe Steelers from scoring a try in a 31-3 semifinal rout last weekend.
Their attacking movement has been underpinned by the playmaking of former All Black flyhalf Richie Mo'unga, the reigning League One MVP, who heads into the final on the back of a man-of-the-match performance against Kobe.
Captain and No. 8 Michael Leitch and fullback Takuro Matsunaga are among the other linchpins in a Brave Lupus starting XV who will enter as favorites after winning as underdogs last year against the Saitama Wild Knights in front of some 56,000 at the Tokyo Olympic venue.
"The cheering was so loud, it felt like the ground was shaking," Matsunaga said. "It won't come as a surprise this time around, so I will be able to enjoy it."
After finishing the season third, the Frans Ludeke-coached Spears have had to contend with an extra round of playoff rugby, followed by a grueling semifinal win against Saitama.
The 2022-2023 champions will aim to continue their strong defensive play, exemplified by hard-tackling South African hooker Malcolm Marx, who was at the forefront of both playoff wins.
Scrumhalf Shinobu Fujiwara will also look for another big performance after scoring a brace of tries last weekend against a Saitama side that was expected to advance to their fourth straight League One final.
"I want to read the situation quickly and perform at my best without rushing things," Fujiwara said.
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The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
Americans set a relay world record in swim worlds in Singapore and Ledecky wins again
SINGAPORE (AP) -- The Americans set a world relay record and piled up three gold medals Saturday in what's been an otherwise frustrating swimming world championships for them. And at the heart of the turnaround on the next-to-last day of the worlds in Singapore was none other than 28-year-old Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in history. Despite the world record in the mixed freestyle 4x100 relay -- 3 minutes, 18.48 seconds -- the story was Ledecky remaining unbeaten in the 800 freestyle. She first won that race in the 2012 Olympics and has never lost since in a major competition. Perhaps for the first time in her career, Ledecky was given only a 50-50 shot by many to beat the 18-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh, the star of these worlds with Frenchman Leon Marchand. McIntosh's best time this season was 8:05.07 -- just behind Ledecky's world mark of 8:04.12 set earlier this year. After 700 meters, McIntosh of Canada was ahead by 0.14 seconds, but she faded and Ledecky won in 8:05.62 with Lani Pallister of Australia taking silver (8:05.98). McIntosh (8:07.29) settled for bronze. McIntosh has won three individual gold medals in Singapore and was trying for five. She will come up short, though she will be the favorite in Sunday's 400 individual medley. Ledecky said she was unaware she was trailing and, when asked about it, glanced down at a race-results sheet to confirm it. "I didn't know," she said. "I just knew it was close the whole way. There were times where I thought I was just going to break away. I was just happy I was up there. "You just never know when you dive in what everyone's tactics are going to be -- or what's going to happen," she added. "It was fun to just to be in that kind of a race. Just try to make small moves just here and there." Ledecky has won 23 gold medals at world championships and 30 overall. Add to that nine Olympic gold medals and 14 Olympics medals overall. If you're counting, that 44 Olympic and world medals. McIntosh, who won three gold medals in the Paris Olympics, hates losing and she showed it afterward with her comments. They were short and right to the point. "Obviously, that's not even close to what I wanted; time-wise, place-wise, how I executed the race. Nothing," she said. In other results Gretchen Walsh of the United States won the 50 butterfly in 24.83 seconds for her second individual gold of the worlds. Earlier in the worlds she won the 100 fly. Alexandria Perkins of Australia claimed silver (25.31) with bronze for Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium (25.43). "It feels great to be like myself again in the water after kind of a rocky week," said Walsh, referring to the " acute gastroenteritis " that the Americans have battled in Singapore following a training camp in Thailand. "Two-time world champion. Can't complain with that," Walsh added. Paris Olympic 50-free gold medalist Cameron McEvoy of Australia repeated his title in the worlds, winning in a quick 21.14. Ben Proud of Britain was the silver medalist (21.26) and American Jack Alexy took bronze (21.46). Defending champion and world-record holder Kaylee McKeown of Australia won gold again, taking the 200-meter backstroke in 2:03.33. American Regan Smith took her fourth silver medal in Singapore (2:04.29) with bronze for American Claire Curzan (2:06.04). Maxime Grousset of France picked up his second gold, taking the 100 butterfly in 49.62, just off the world record of 49.45 by American Caeleb Dressel. Noe Ponti of Switzerland took silver (49.83) with bronze for Canadian Ilya Kharun (50.07). Grousset also won the 50 fly. The record It was only the second world record set in these championships. It came on a night when the United States won three gold medals, by far its best performance in what had been a lackluster championships for the team. The relay team members were: Alexy, Patrick Sammon, Kate Douglass and Torri Huske. The Americans how have eight gold medals, one ahead of Australia with the championships closing on Sunday. The Americans have 26 overall and Australia has 17 overall. The only other record set in the meet came earlier in the week with Marchand shattering the 200 IM record (1:52.69). He'll try to break his own 400 IM record on Sunday, a mark of 4:02.50 set in the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan.
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Americans Set a Relay World Record in Swim Worlds in Singapore and Ledecky Wins Again
SINGAPORE (AP) — The Americans set a world relay record and piled up three gold medals Saturday in what's been an otherwise frustrating swimming world championships for them. And at the heart of the turnaround on the next-to-last day of the worlds in Singapore was none other than 28-year-old Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in history. Despite the world record in the mixed freestyle 4×100 relay — 3 minutes, 18.48 seconds — the story was Ledecky remaining unbeaten in the 800 freestyle. She first won that race in the 2012 Olympics and has never lost since in a major competition. Perhaps for the first time in her career, Ledecky was given only a 50-50 shot by many to beat the 18-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh, the star of these worlds with Frenchman Leon Marchand. McIntosh's best time this season was 8:05.07 — just behind Ledecky's world mark of 8:04.12 set earlier this year. After 700 meters, McIntosh of Canada was ahead by 0.14 seconds, but she faded and Ledecky won in 8:05.62 with Lani Pallister of Australia taking silver (8:05.98). McIntosh (8:07.29) settled for bronze. McIntosh has won three individual gold medals in Singapore and was trying for five. She will come up short, though she will be the favorite in Sunday's 400 individual medley. Ledecky said she was unaware she was trailing and, when asked about it, glanced down at a race-results sheet to confirm it. 'I didn't know,' she said. 'I just knew it was close the whole way. There were times where I thought I was just going to break away. I was just happy I was up there. 'You just never know when you dive in what everyone's tactics are going to be — or what's going to happen,' she added. 'It was fun to just to be in that kind of a race. Just try to make small moves just here and there.' Ledecky has won 23 gold medals at world championships and 30 overall. Add to that nine Olympic gold medals and 14 Olympics medals overall. If you're counting, that 44 Olympic and world medals. McIntosh, who won three gold medals in the Paris Olympics, hates losing and she showed it afterward with her comments. They were short and right to the point. 'Obviously, that's not even close to what I wanted; time-wise, place-wise, how I executed the race. Nothing,' she said. In other results Gretchen Walsh of the United States won the 50 butterfly in 24.83 seconds for her second individual gold of the worlds. Earlier in the worlds she won the 100 fly. Alexandria Perkins of Australia claimed silver (25.31) with bronze for Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium (25.43). 'It feels great to be like myself again in the water after kind of a rocky week,' said Walsh, referring to the ' acute gastroenteritis ' that the Americans have battled in Singapore following a training camp in Thailand. 'Two-time world champion. Can't complain with that,' Walsh added. Paris Olympic 50-free gold medalist Cameron McEvoy of Australia repeated his title in the worlds, winning in a quick 21.14. Ben Proud of Britain was the silver medalist (21.26) and American Jack Alexy took bronze (21.46). Defending champion and world-record holder Kaylee McKeown of Australia won gold again, taking the 200-meter backstroke in 2:03.33. American Regan Smith took her fourth silver medal in Singapore (2:04.29) with bronze for American Claire Curzan (2:06.04). Maxime Grousset of France picked up his second gold, taking the 100 butterfly in 49.62, just off the world record of 49.45 by American Caeleb Dressel. Noe Ponti of Switzerland took silver (49.83) with bronze for Canadian Ilya Kharun (50.07). Grousset also won the 50 fly. The record It was only the second world record set in these championships. It came on a night when the United States won three gold medals, by far its best performance in what had been a lackluster championships for the team. The relay team members were: Alexy, Patrick Sammon, Kate Douglass and Torri Huske. The Americans how have eight gold medals, one ahead of Australia with the championships closing on Sunday. The Americans have 26 overall and Australia has 17 overall. The only other record set in the meet came earlier in the week with Marchand shattering the 200 IM record (1:52.69). He'll try to break his own 400 IM record on Sunday, a mark of 4:02.50 set in the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan.
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Japan Today
Ledecky reigns over McIntosh as record-breaking U.S. hit back at critics
swimming By Peter STEBBINGS Katie Ledecky beat Summer McIntosh to win a classic 800 meters freestyle final at the world championships on Saturday as the record-breaking United States hit back at their critics. On a Super Saturday for the embattled Americans, who have been struggling with illness in Singapore, Ledecky won her seventh career world gold in the event she has made her own. But the legendary American was pushed to the limit, touching the wall in a championship-record 8 minutes, 05.62 seconds, ahead of Australia's Lani Pallister (8:05.98) and McIntosh (8:07.29). It was Canadian sensation McIntosh's first defeat of the championships and ended her bid to match Michael Phelps as the only swimmer ever to win five individual golds at a single world championships. The 18-year-old has already won three golds this week in Singapore and will go for number four in the 400 meters medley on Sunday. "The feeling right now is something I never want to feel again," a forlorn McIntosh said. Ledecky, 28, had too much staying power for her younger rival, with Pallister also right in the mix until the final lunge for the line. "They pushed me all the way," said Ledecky, a four-time Olympic champion in the event. "I'm just really happy I could put that together. I just kept telling myself to trust my legs." The United States team, under the cosh after criticism from Olympic greats Phelps and Ryan Lochte, won three golds on the penultimate day of competition. They lead the medals table from Australia with eight golds following victories on Saturday for Ledecky, Gretchen Walsh and their mixed 4x100 meters freestyle relay team -- the latter in a world-record time. Walsh completed a butterfly double, romping to victory in the 50m. The American, who won the 100m butterfly earlier in the week, touched the wall in 24.83 seconds, beating Australia's Alexandria Perkins (25.31) and Belgium's Roos Vanotterdijk (25.43). Walsh said she felt "fragile" before her 100m win after coming down with a stomach bug that has swept through the American camp -- and triggered questions from Phelps and Lochte about the management of the team. She was back to full strength for the fast and furious 50 meters, which will become an Olympic event for the first time at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. "I'm very proud," said the 22-year-old, calling it a "rocky" competition for her despite the double success. She labelled the criticism from Phelps and Lochte "frustrating". To cap off a golden day for the Americans, they took gold in 3:18.48 seconds in the relay, beating Australia's previous leading time of 3:18.83 set in 2023. Australia won two golds on the night to add to their haul of seven overall. New father Cam McEvoy powered to the men's 50 meters freestyle gold to go with his Paris Olympics crown and Kaylee McKeown embellished her dominance in women's backstroke. The 31-year-old McEvoy -- who is at his seventh world championships -- reclaimed the title he won in 2023 after turning on the afterburners in the second half of the sprint to win in a sizzling 21.14sec. Britain's Ben Proud took silver in 21.26, with Jack Alexy of the United States in bronze in 21.46. McKeown added the 200 meters backstroke crown to her 100m title. McKeown again got the better of Regan Smith, touching the wall in a championships-record 2:03.33 to beat her American arch-rival into second place in 2:04.29. McKeown also won the 100-200 backstroke double at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. France's Maxime Grousset also sealed a Singapore individual double with a rampant victory in the men's 100 meters butterfly, to complement his 50m gold. Grousset's time of 49.62 seconds was the third-fastest ever. © 2025 AFP
