Israel Folau could be down and out with question marks hanging over his future

He might only have 160 minutes left in his Japan Rugby League One career, but international star Israel Folau still has plenty of work to do.

The remarkable 37-year-old, who has yet to make his intentions clear after his departure from Urayasu D-Rocks was announced last month, has seemingly done everything it is possible to do in an Australian professional sportsperson’s career.

Test rugby for each of Australia and his family’s native Tonga, a record for the most tries in Super Rugby while at the Waratahs, an Australian Kangaroo in rugby league alongside successful stints with each of the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm, as well as a brief dalliance in Australian Rules football.

It’s not all over yet though, and the veteran will need to lift himself one last time to help see his club through a two-legged promotion/relegation series against surprise qualifiers, Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks. To bow out with relegation as a full stop on such a unique career is almost unthinkable.

Runners-up in Division Two, the Blue Sharks, who are steered around the field by the ex-Irish international fly-half Billy Burns, caused an upset when they snuck past the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners of Manie Libbok, Akira Ioane and Peter Umaga-Jensen, to qualify for The Replacement Battle.

Folau, who ranks first across the league for meters made (10.5) per ball carry, is a major obstacle to their promotion aspirations.

After announcing himself with 10 tries in 12 matches during the inaugural League One, injuries have restricted the winger to 26 appearances in the four subsequent seasons. This season’s harvest of eight tries from as many games is his best return since.

Folau scored just twice last term but, perhaps ominously for the Division Two side, one of those came in the Replacement Battle as D-Rocks edged past Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi by five points on aggregate.

Japan Rugby League One

Overall Standings

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Kobelco Kobe Steelers

18

16

2

0

75

2

Saitama Wild Knights

18

16

2

0

74

3

Kubota Spears

18

14

4

0

70

4

Tokyo Sungoliath

18

9

9

0

48

5

BlackRams Tokyo

18

9

9

0

41

6

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

18

8

10

0

39

7

Shizuoka BlueRevs

18

7

11

0

36

8

Mie Honda Heat

18

7

11

0

34

9

Toyota Verblitz

18

7

11

0

33

10

Yokohama Canon Eagles

18

6

12

0

30

11

Urayasu D-Rocks

18

5

13

0

20

12

Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars

18

4

14

0

20

Conference A

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Saitama Wild Knights

18

16

2

0

74

2

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

18

8

10

0

39

3

Shizuoka BlueRevs

18

7

11

0

36

4

Yokohama Canon Eagles

18

6

12

0

30

5

Urayasu D-Rocks

18

5

13

0

20

6

Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars

18

4

14

0

20

Conference B

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Kobelco Kobe Steelers

18

16

2

0

75

2

Kubota Spears

18

14

4

0

70

3

Tokyo Sungoliath

18

9

9

0

48

4

BlackRams Tokyo

18

9

9

0

41

5

Mie Honda Heat

18

7

11

0

34

6

Toyota Verblitz

18

7

11

0

33

Former Wallaby midfielder Samu Kerevi and powerhouse Springbok backrower Jasper Wiese are other concerns for the Blue Sharks, who will nonetheless bring a quiet sense of confidence that they can beat the odds, having done so all season.

This time last year, they were also playing a Replacement Battle, only that was to save themselves from relegation to Division Three.

After narrowly missing last year the Shuttles – who have provided a great platform from which Wallaby fly-half Noah Lolesio has shown his class – will try again for promotion against a Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars outfit that has lost its’ last six games.

At the other end of the Division Two table, the Toutai Kefu-coached Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves are aiming to retain their status through the relegation series for the fourth straight year, facing SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS.

Division Three champions SkyActivs Hiroshima, and their 17-try former Ealing Trailfinders second row Andrew Davidson, challenge Hino Red Dolpins.