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Quade Cooper return marred after just 11 minutes
A yellow card and a 27-point hammering have marked an inglorious start for World Cup outcast Quade Cooper as he began his quest to earn a Wallabies recall.
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Playing his first match for Hanazono Kintetsu Liners in Japan Rugby League One since being overlooked by Eddie Jones for last year’s global showpiece in France, the 84-test veteran was sent to the sin bin in the 11th minute as his side slid to a 41-14 loss against Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo.
Former England loose forward Nathan Hughes opened the scoring for Black Rams with a try two minutes after Cooper’s departure, a punishment for his side’s repeated infringements.
The score had blown out to 21-0 by the time the 35-year-old returned, leaving his side a mountain it could not climb.
The Black Rams, who are coached by Australian Peter Hewat, scored three tries in each half, with Queenslander Isaac Lucas getting on the scoresheet in the second half.
Matt McGahan – the former Reds fullback and son of Kiwis rugby league legend Hugh – and former Wallabies prop Paddy Ryan also featured for the Black Rams in their first win of the season.
Two former coaches of Australia’s national team endured contrasting afternoons.
An eye-catching result came at Kumagaya, where the Robbie Deans-coached Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights stormed home to beat Toyota Verblitz 43-27.
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Saitama routed the visitors 35-0 in the second half, with the Australian-born Brave Blossoms pair of No.8 Jack Cornelsen and centre Dylan Riley among the try-scorers.
Verblitz, who are coached by former New Zealand boss Steve Hansen and featured All Blacks Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith as well as Springboks legend Pieter Steph du Toit, arrived with high hopes.
The Wild Knights, conversely, were without two of their overseas stars in Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete and Springboks lock Lood de Jager.
Verblitz’s confidence seemed justified as the visitors rocked last year’s finalists with four first-half tries to lead 27-5 on the stroke of halftime.
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Saitama have lost at home just once since 2019, and the second period showed why – Cornelsen beginning the comeback with a try in the 47th minute.
By the time Riley crossed for his team’s fourth of the second period, the Wild Knights had gobbled up Toyota’s lead.
They added a fifth before fulltime to complete a remarkable victory which keeps them top of the table.
One of Deans’ successors in the Wallabies hotseat, Dave Rennie, had a less enjoyable afternoon as his Kobelco Kobe Steelers side featuring world player of the year Ardie Savea fell 44-36 to the Eddie Jones-advised Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.
Comments on RugbyPass
The first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
31 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
31 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
31 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
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