Wiese's daunting D-Rocks challenge
ROUND 11 PREVIEW: Springbok Jasper Wiese’s D-Rocks team is facing a tough outing when they come up against the Spears in Japan Rugby League One in Tokyo this weekend.
After a weekend free of physical activity, the boots go back on, and the laces are done up.
So far, it’s been hard going, taking two years to clear Division Two, which has been followed by a tortuous top-flight initiation, with D-Rocks having won just once, while conceding a whopping 404 points.
The absence of injured star man Israel Folau for all but four matches hasn’t helped, and while new signing Wiese has acquitted himself well, the Springbok backrower, alongside Wallaby centre Samu Kerevi, haven’t been able to carry the side on their own.
None of which is promising ahead of a date with a Kubota outfit that’s had two weeks to stew over their 31-27 defeat by Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, where they twice led before going under to Jone Naikabula’s 70th minute try.
For D-Rocks, the free weekend offered respite from their gruelling entry into the league’s top division with their loss last time against Verblitz cutting them adrift by eight points at the bottom of the championship table, leaving boss Greig Laidlaw with a tough task piloting his side clear of the postseason relegation lottery.
It hasn’t been easy for the freshly minted head coach, who took over from South African Johan Ackermann after the new team had conquered Division Two.
The 76-cap former Scottish skipper, who rounded out his career by playing 25 times for D-Rocks’ and its forerunner Shining Arcs, joined the coaching staff last term, with the club choosing to promote from within when Ackermann stepped aside.
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Laidlaw inherited an outfit with lofty ambitions, tasked with delivering on Sports X president Masahiro Shimooki’s stated ambition when the club was formed by an amalgam of the Shining Arcs and Red Hurricanes’ squads three years ago, to see D-Rocks crowned as Japan Rugby League One champion in five years or sooner.
Toshiba’s win cemented the defending champions' hold on second position, and it will be ‘master versus apprentice’ when Todd Blackadder’s side visit Steve Hansen’s Verblitz in Saturday’s early kick-off, with the pair having had a captain/coach relationship earlier in their careers.
League leaders, Wild Knights, visit the last team to beat them in the regular season – albeit 27 matches ago – the Blue Revs, while the quaintly named ‘Photocopy derby’ between the clubs with backers from the office supplies trade, Eagles and Black Rams Tokyo, also features on Saturday’s programme.
So too does Heat’s visit to Kobe Steelers.
Sunday pits Dynaboars against Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, with both looking to recover after damaging losses last time.