Wiese leads D-Rocks surge as Boks leave mark on JRLO
WRAP: Springbok Jasper Wiese played a key role as Urayasu D-Rocks continued their remarkable rise under English coach Graham Rowntree in the Japan Rugby League One, climbing to fifth on the table with a 28-22 win over the Eagles.
Backed by Wallaby Samu Kerevi, Urayasu raced to a 23-5 halftime lead and are already matching last season’s total of three wins after just four matches.
The form book makes for ugly reading for Eagles fans, though, who were back-to-back semifinalists in the second and third editions of the competition, now having lost their last eight games, four at the end of last term, and the first four this time under new coach Leon MacDonald.
This is the club’s worst losing sequence for a decade, since they dropped eight in a row in the 2014-15 season.
Elsewhere, Springbok flank Kwagga Smith was on the losing end as Wild Knights powered past Blue Revs 37-22, scoring five second-half tries to secure a bonus-point win.
Spears, featuring Bernard Foley, stayed unbeaten at the summit with a 45-21 win over Heat.
There was late heartbreak for Cheslin Kolbe’s Tokyo Sungoliath, edged 22-20 by Steelers after a late offside call allowed the winning penalty, while Lukhanyo Am was yellow-carded in Brave Lupus Tokyo’s 47-22 win.
Former All Blacks captain Sam Cane was sent off in the 51st minute after a second yellow card, and despite Sungoliath leading 20-14 at the time, Kobe Steelers snatched the win with a 79th-minute penalty. Cane later admitted his disappointment at leaving his side short-handed.
Reigning champions Brave Lupus Tokyo cruised past Dynaboars 47-22, with TJ Clarke scoring a hat-trick.
Verblitz blew a 29-10 halftime lead to lose 29-37 to Tokyo Black Rams, which scored 27 second-half points despite three yellow cards.
After four rounds, only the Wild Knights and Spears remain unbeaten, with Kobe Steelers, Urayasu D-Rocks and Brave Lupus all sitting at 3-1.
