Ex-All Blacks coaches Sir Steve Hansen and Ian Foster face the serious threat of relegation in Japan Rugby League One.
The pair have overseen a torrid run of results in the top division of Japanese rugby, winning just two of their 12 matches so far this season.
This has left them in 11th place overall, five points ahead of bottom-of-the-log Urayasu D-Rocks with a challenging run of fixtures ahead of them.
Verblitz threatened by relegation
Ahead of the 2024/25 season, the JRLO confirmed that the promotion/relegation ‘Replacement Battle’ series between Divisions One and Two has been downsized from a six-team format to four playing home and away.
Following Verblitz’s ninth defeat of the season, falling to a 31-22 loss to the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars, ex-All Blacks coaches Hansen and Foster are in danger of being one of the two Division One teams that will feature in the match.
Kurt-Lee Arendse kickstarted Verblitz’s latest demise as the Springboks winger threw the simplest of dummies and sped away for a try from turnover ball inside the opening 60 seconds.
Former Bulls lock Walt Steenkamp extended the Dynaboars’ lead 10 minutes later before doubling up before the break as the visitors led 24-5.
The 19-point advantage proved too big of a gap for Hansen’s men to make up, despite two tries in three minutes from ex-rugby league superstar Joseph Manu, which drew Verblitz to within two points with 24 minutes remaining.
Manu’s brace gave Verblitz hope of a comeback but that was thwarted when Jack Stratton scored off quickly recycled ball from an attacking ruck eight minutes later.
That try not only sealed the victory for the hosts but also denied Verblitz a losing bonus point as they ended the weekend with the same points tally that they started with.
Tough challenge
Japan Rugby League One table after 12 roundsVerblitz still have six game weeks to turn things around and will be boosted by the return of World Rugby Player of the Year for 2024, Pieter-Steph du Toit, who is expected to be back in mid-April having yet to play for the side this season after sustaining an injury in November with the Springboks. He will likely only be available for the last three fixtures of the regular season.
Hansen and Foster face a challenging run of games though with a play-off chasing Canon Eagles team up next, who are currently ranked sixth overall, with the Robbie Deans-led Wild Knights following – a team that has only lost once so far this season.
Ninth-placed Black Rams follow thereafter before they collide with a Suntory Sungoliath team that is four from 12 this season and will also be eager to avoid the relegation battle.
Their final two games of the regular season will see them face Honda Heat and Kubota Spears.
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/legendary-all-blacks-face-serious-relegation-threat-in-japan-after-latest-loss
