Ex-Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw faces daunting task in Japan

After a weekend free of physical activity, the boots go back on, and the laces done up, as Japan Rugby League One resumes following it’s second bye round of the season when Urayasu D-Rocks face up to Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay in Tokyo tomorrow night.

For D-Rocks, the free weekend offered respite from their gruelling entry into the league’s top division with their loss last time against Toyota Verblitz cutting them adrift by eight point’s at the bottom of the championship table, leaving boss Greig Laidlaw with a task akin to that of scaling the 4,413ft Ben Nevis if he is to pilot his side clear of the post season 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 time 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.

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.

Fixture

Japan Rugby League One

Urayasu D-Rocks

22 - 33

Full-time

Kubota Spears

All Stats and Data

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 Jasper 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.

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, Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, visit the last team to beat them in the regular season – albeit 27 matches ago – the Shizuoka Blue Revs, while the quaintly named ‘Photocopy derby’ between the clubs with backers from the office supplies trade, Yokohama Canon Eagles and Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo, also features on Saturday’s programme.

Fixture

Japan Rugby League One

Shizuoka BlueRevs

22 - 17

Full-time

Saitama Wild Knights

All Stats and Data

So too does Mie Honda Heat’s visit to Kobelco Kobe Steelers.

Sunday pits Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars against Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, with both looking to recover after damaging losses last time.