Former Wallaby halfback Will Genia is facing arguably the biggest test of his career as his club struggles in Japan Rugby League One.
The Genia-captained Kintetsu Liners conceded more than 70 points for the second week in a row during the latest round of matches and has now lost all four games.
Newly promoted from division two, Kintetsu yielded 11 tries as it lost 74-7 to the Yokohama Canon Eagles in Osaka and have let in 21 tries in the past two weekends after losing 77-12 to Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay.
Kintetsu, who also feature the 26-cap Australian-born Scotland lock Ben Turis, are sorely missing the spark provided by the injured Quade Cooper, who was player of the season when the team won the second division title last year.
Elsewhere, the Eddie Jones-effect continues to energise Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, who made it three wins on the trot by convincingly beating the Kobelco Kobe Steelers 39-19.
Jones, who has spent time at the club wearing his advisor’s hat since leaving the England role, will be pleased with how Sungoliath shut out its opponent, limiting a side that had been the highest scorer in the league, to just one try, while scoring four themselves.
Bernard Foley’s Kubota remain unbeaten after overpowering Michael Cheika’s NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu, easing to a 40-7 win after having been held to a 14-7 lead at halftime.
Foley came off the bench to play the last 30 minutes against the Green Rockets, who had his former Wallabies teammate Nick Phipps at halfback.
Former Wallaby centre Curtis Rona also came off the bench during the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamahira Dynaboars’ upset 23-19 win over Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.
Mitsubishi’s only defeat so far was against the defending champion Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, who maintained their place at the top of the table with a 34-19 win over Toyota Verblitz.
The win featured the first two tries of the season by Wallaby winger Marika Koroibete, who had drawn a blank in the Wild Knights’ opening three matches, after having scored seven in his maiden campaign.
Aussie Peter Hewat’s Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo scored their second win of the season, seeing off the Shizuoka Blue Revs 34-22 at Shizuoka.
The win, which was Ricoh’s second in succession, featured 24 points from the boot of the Sydney-born Matt McGahan, who is the son of the Kiwis and Roosters rugby league legend Hugh McGahan, and has previously played Super Rugby for the Reds, and league in the Melbourne Storm Under 20s.
Israel Folau kept up his record of having scored a try in every match so far, taking his tally to five from three outings as the Urayasu D-Rocks won the second division’s top-of-the-table clash against the Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi, 55-16.
The ex-Western Force flyhalf Joshua Stander scored 24 points as the Kamaishi Seawaves recorded the upset of the round, beating the Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks 44-22, while Wallaby Tom Banks shared in the MIE Honda Heat’s 20-19 win over the Hino Red Dolphins.
