Wallaby winger Marika Koroibete was among the scorers as the Saitama Wild Knights became the first Japanese corporate side to beat a Super Rugby Pacific team in beating New Zealand's Gallagher Chiefs in The Cross Border Rugby competition.
Coached by Kiwi former Wallaby boss Robbie Deans, the six-time champions of Japan were too strong for last year's Super Rugby finalists in Sunday's second Cross Border contest, winning 38-14 at Kumagaya after leading 14-0 at halftime.
Saitama were led by Springbok second-rower Lood de Jager as they added to their outstanding home record. They've lost on their park just once since Japanese rugby resumed after the pandemic, including a run of 47 straight wins.
Koroibete's 65th-minute try effectively sealed the game for his side, extending their advantage to 17 points with 15 minutes remaining.
Fielding nine Japan internationals and three foreign Test players in de Jager, his Springbok teammate Damien de Allende, and Koroibete, the Wild Knights bossed their Kiwi visitors in contact, and were slick in attack.
The leaders in Japan Rugby League One, Saitama made a major statement for Japanese rugby with the manner of the win, with the New Zealanders dominated for most of the match.
One of the proudest moments in the Wild Knights' storied history, the success reinforced the value of The Cross Border Rugby, offering a pointer to the potential in future contact between teams from Japan Rugby League One and Super Rugby clubs.
While the Sunwolves previously appeared in Super Rugby, The Cross Border Rugby is the first occasion where teams from that competition have faced corporate clubs from Japan in a semi-formal setting.
Japan Rugby League One chairman Genichi Tamatsuka believes the series has the potential to lead to a more formal competition between the two leagues in the future.
The Cross-Border Rugby, which is one result of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Japan Rugby Football Union and New Zealand Rugby last year, began with the Blues thrashing Tokyo Sungoliath 43-7 at Tokyo's Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Although decisive, the win came at a cost with Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu suffering a broken jaw which may rule him out of the Super Rugby season.
The Blues now play Yokohama Canon Eagles on Saturday at the city's Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium to complete their program in the series.
