Richie Mo\u2019unga\u2019s extraordinary run of club championships is over after his Toshiba Brave Lupus side was beaten in a Japan One quarter-final.<\/p>\n
The 26-3 defeat to the Kubota Spears, who featured fellow New Zealander Shaun Stevenson at fullback, ended Mo\u2019unga\u2019s winning streak which stretched back to 2017 when he won his first of seven championships at the Crusaders.<\/p>\n
Two titles with Toshiba under head coach Todd Blackadder took Mo\u2019unga\u2019s run to nine straight before last night\u2019s defeat to Kubota, who included former Wallaby Bernard Foley at No.10 and Springbok Malcolm Marx starting at hooker.<\/p>\n
Dave Rennie\u2019s Kobe Steelers and the Saitama Wild Knights, coached by Robbie Deans, went straight through to next weekend\u2019s semifinals after finishing first and second respectively after the regular season.<\/p>\n
Blackadder\u2019s team, who included former All Blacks loose forward Shannon Frizell (who did not play in last night\u2019s game), swept all before them in 2024 and 2025 but found this season far more challenging<\/a>.<\/p>\n They lost seven matches in a row before recovering to finish sixth on the table which put them into a difficult quarter-final with the third-placed Spears.<\/p>\n In a post on his Instagram page, Mo\u2019unga said: \u201cNot to be. First and foremost, I want to thank all the people of Japan who have made my time here so enjoyable. An experience of a lifetime.<\/p>\n \u201cMe and my family are very grateful. To my Toshiba family, thank you all! We did something pretty special and created memories I\u2019ll never forget. Arigato gozaimasu.\u201d<\/p>\n Mo\u2019unga, the All Blacks\u2019 first-choice No.10 before leaving for Japan after the 2023 World Cup, is not eligible to represent New Zealand until after their South African tour in August and September despite head coach Rennie<\/a> saying he would have selected him for the trip.<\/p>\n However, he is a chance to travel as an injury replacement. In an interview with 1News late last year,<\/a> Mo\u2019unga said he remained hopeful of making the trip.<\/p>\n