Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Former Sydney Roosters and New Zealand league star Joey Manu’s rugby debut in Japan hasn’t gone totally to plan.
The supremely talented outside back scored a try for Toyota Verblitz, but his day was dashed late on as ex-Wallabies five-eighth Bernard Foley fired the Kubota Spears to a 30-27 win with a late drop goal.
Three months after his time at the Sydney Roosters ended amid a salary cap crunch at the club, the two-time NRL premiership winner started at inside centre in Tokyo and crashed over for a try from close range just before half-time.
Despite Manu leaving the field after an hour, Verblitz retained their lead until Foley found his range with the boot, converting South African second-rower Merwe Olivier’s try to draw the 2022-23 champions level deep into the second half.
Foley then completed the comeback for his club and lived up to his “Iceman” nickname with a nerveless drop goal in stoppage time to hand the Verblitz side coached by former All Blacks mentor Steve Hansen a first-up loss.
Manu’s fellow NRL convert Valynce Te Whare also enjoyed a memorable debut with the former Dolphins cult figure crossing the try line for his club Shizuoka Blue Revs in a 15-13 win over Kobe Steel on Saturday.
Te Whare began his career playing rugby for Waikato in New Zealand, before joining the Dolphins. He moved to Japan after failing to establish himself in the NRL under former coach Wayne Bennett.
Israel Folau, one of Australia’s most successful cross-code stars, suffered a 31-19 loss with the newly promoted Urayasu D-Rocks beaten on their introduction to Division One, going down 31-19 to Sagamihara Dynaboars.
All Blacks Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell stepped up after the break to get Brave Lupus Tokyo home 28-21 against Yokohama Eagles, both scoring tries after a try from Springbok halfback Faf de Klerk had helped the Eagles to a 16-7 halftime advantage.
Saturday provided contrasting fortunes for the league’s two former Wallabies coaches, with Saitama Wild Knights providing Robbie Deans with a winning start following a comfortable 33-12 win over Tokyo Sungoliath, while Dave Rennie’s Kobelco Kobe Steelers were felled by an 85th-minute try as they lost 15-13 to Shizuoka Blue Revs.
Kobe paid the price for their ill-discipline, losing ex-Blues second-rower Gerard Cowley-Tuioti to a red card in the 62nd minute, and midfielder Ngane Laumape for a dangerous tackle in injury time, with Blue Revs crossing for the winner two minutes after the former All Blacks’ exit.
Quade Cooper’s Hanazono Liners were denied victory in Division Two after former England five-eighth Freddie Burns scored 19 points for Shuttles Aichi in a 24-20 win.
with AAP
