Ardie Savea’s final mission in Japan: Win the title and leave a lasting legacy
Savea regards Dave Rennie’s Kobe side as highly as any team that he’s been a part of
©JRLO
Kobe Steelers loose-forward Ardie Savea is aiming to sign off from Japanese rugby by lifting the League One trophy for the first time this Sunday when Dave Rennie’s side face Frans Ludeke’s Kubota Spears.
All Blacks ace Savea, 32, spoke exclusively to Talking Rugby Union ahead of the League One showpiece which is expected to attract over 50,000 fans at the MUFG Stadium (Tokyo’s National Stadium) and will air live in the UK on Premier Sports (07.05 AM KO).
The 2023 World Player of the Year scored two tries in Kobe’s 69-23 semi-final demolition of Sam Cane and Chesline Kolbe’s Suntory Sungoliath last Saturday.
Savea characteristically was quick to downplay his key role in the resounding victory.
“It’s a testament to our management team,” Savea told Talking Rugby Union. “We had a two-week gap before the semi-final, and we worked hard and was well prepared.
“The most important thing is for us to enjoy our rugby and playing alongside our brothers. I will focus on the job I need to do.”
Rugby, for Savea, is, first and foremost an opportunity for him to simply make people happy and to honour his family and friends.
The long-time Hurricanes back-rower spent a year with Kobe after the 2023 World Cup before spending an inspirational campaign as Moana Pasifika’s skipper last season.
“I’m here in Japan to win, but just as importantly, I want to put a smile on people’s faces and represent who I represent. I’m blessed to be playing rugby here.”
The Wellington-born powerhouse has been part of some celebrated teams during his distinguished career such as the 2016 Super Rugby-winning Hurricanes team.
Seven-time Rugby Championship winner Savea, who finished third with the All Blacks at the 2019 World Cup and as a runner-up four years later, regards Dave Rennie’s Kobe side as highly as any team that he’s been part of.
“Each team I’ve been a part of has been different, but here it’s so good to see everyone playing with confidence for Kobe,” said the All Blacks centurion.
“Our Japanese brothers are leading really well and I think that’s a testament to our leadership group with Guz (Brodie Retallick) and Lee (Seung-sin) with how they lead and the freedom they give the boys to play.”
New All Blacks head coach Rennie, who will lead his country for the first time when they host France in the Nations Championship on 4 July, has assembled one of the most talent-laden squads in the history of Japanese club rugby.
Captain Retallick, 35, has remarkably scored 17 tries in 19 games to spark talk of a potential return to Test rugby.
Japan’s first choice fly-half Lee Seung-sin, who has scored 126 points, has been a standout while his ever-reliable deputy Bryn Gatland has notched 106 points.
New Brave Blossoms call-up Inoke Burua, a Fiji-born winger with pace to burn, has scored 14 tries while rookie full-back Shunsuke Uenobo, 22, who only played his first professional game in February, has scored 11 tries in 13 appearances.
The table-topping side are bidding to emulate Dave Dillon’s championship-winning side which won the Top League in 2018 with a line-up that included captain Andrew Ellis, MVP winner Dan Carter and Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Veteran prop Hirofumi Yamashita, 40, versatile forward Nakajima Isileli, 36, and scrum-half Atsushi Hiwasa, 39, are still part of a Kobe squad who are gracing their first League One final with the former impressively holding down a starting berth this Sunday.
Savea is motivated to win for his teammates as he looks to sign off in style and, together with Rennie and centre Anton Lienert-Brown, take title-winning momentum into the All Black’s gruelling summer schedule.
“We understand the intensity. It’s a great occasion and challenge for us.
“I care about the team, the brothers next to me and the people supporting us and who we represent. We’ve been able to keep on improving this season and now we’ve got one job left. It’s going to be very tough.”
With just 80 minutes of championship rugby remaining in Japan, the in-form Savea is primed for Sunday's title decider.
But while his focus is on lifting the trophy, he took a moment to look beyond his own ambitions and make a heartfelt plea for his former club, Moana Pasifika, whose future remains uncertain.
The Super Rugby Pacific club was placed into liquidation at the end of May after their current owners announced that they would not continue to fund the franchise beyond 2026.
“I’ve still got faith, if there’s a 1 per cent chance of survival, that's all we need,” he said. “I’m hoping and praying there's a Moana next year. I’m hoping and praying the boys are ok.
“As you can see, for them to turn up every Saturday under these circumstances, the last few weeks, it's a testament to the characters who are in that team. I’m wishing everyone the best and hopefully it’ll work out.”
Kobe (1-15): Shigure Takao, Ash Dixon, Hiroshi Yamashita, Brodie Retallick (c), Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Tiennan Costley, Ardie Savea, Waisake Raratubua, Itsuki Kamimura, Lee Seung-sin, Inoke Burua, Tali Ioasa, Anton Lienert-brown, Kazuma Ueda, Shunsuke Uenobo.
Replacements: Kenta Matsuoka, Sho Maeda, Jiwon Gu, Naohiro Kotaki, Solomone Funaki, Daiki Nakajima, Bryn Gatland, Michael Little
Kubota (1-15): Yota Kamimori, Hayate Era, Keijiro Tamefusa, Merwe Olivier, David Bulbring, Akira Ieremia, Takeo Suenaga, Faulua Makisi (c), Ippei Okada, Bernard Foley, Haruto Kida, Yuya Hirose, Rikus Pretorius, Koga Nezuka, Shaun Stevenson
Replacements: Rikuto Fukuda, Kazuki Kato, Opeti Helu, David Van Zeeland, Lappies Labuschagné, Bryn Hall, Atsushi Oshikawa, Halatoa Vailea
