Former Super Rugby star Israel Folau made a scoring return in his first club game in 10 months as his division two leaders Urayasu D-Rocks edged second-placed NEC Green Rockets 31-28 at Yurtec Stadium in Sendai on Saturday.
The former Australia international, who has recovered from a knee injury which ruled him out of the World Cup for Tonga, needed only four minutes to open the deadlock.
Japanese fly-half Hikaru Tamura launched an up-and-under from just inside his own half and, after being knocked backwards by the visitors, the ball was recovered by full-back Folau (below) who strolled over the line.
Free-scoring hooker Ash Dixon responded for Wayne Pivac’s Rockets with his sixth try of the season.
The 2015 Super Rugby winner showed off his power and pace to touch down in the corner as his side claimed the lead for the first time.
Just four minutes later, the Rockets were in again after Fiji-born outside centre Maritino Nemani, who has become eligible for Japan this season, put through a grubber kick which the visitors failed to deal with.
Tamura scooped up the ball and fed Folau who elected to try and run it from in front of his own posts but he got tackled and turned over by Nemani.
Former Wallaby Nick Phipps sprayed the ball to Japan-qualified centre Christian Laui who played in club captain Lomano Lemeki (below) who touched down for the sixth time this campaign.
The hosts rallied with two tries to close out the half as Australian flanker Brody McCaskell scored against his old club from a rolling maul.
South Africa-born centre Shane Gates, who has four caps for the Brave Blossoms, was next to cross after a break from Folau.
NEC’s left wing Kentaro Kodama put his side back in front just before the hour mark and Namibia’s World Cup fly-half Tiaan Swanepoel, who replaced Nemani in the first half, slotted the conversion.
Tamura restored parity with a penalty as he tied up the finely poised game 28-28 with 13 minutes remaining.
In the 77th minute Tamura, a surprise summer signing from signing from Suntory Sungoliath, settled the nail-biting game with a typically pinpoint kick.
A penalty from the Meiji University graduate, who is the younger brother of long-time Japan international Yu Tamura, 10 metres into the Rockets’ half sailed over between the posts to put the D-Rocks on the brink of victory.
After the restart the Rockets’ pushed forward but Larry Surunga, who replaced Folau, ripped the ball from Lemeki and the second tier leaders saw out the remaining 30 seconds to pip their Chiba neighbours.
The D-Rocks prevailed 31-28 for an extra sweet derby win having lost their opening game of the season to Wayne Pivac’s side 28-31.
Line-ups:
NEC Green Rockets: Lemeki, Marshall, Nemani, Laui, Omata, Kanai, Phipps, Masivou, Tuinakauvadra, Hosoda, Jeffries, Yamagiwa, Kikuta, Dixon, Yamamoto
Replacements: Porter, Kubo, Owada, Ueda, Arai, Maruo, Bennetts, Swanepoel
Urayasu D-Rocks: Folau, Lisala, Gates, Tukufuka, Yasuda, Tamura, Iinuma, Paul, MacAskill, Moore, Nakashima, Kojima, Nabeshima, Marais, Ishida
Replacements: Kim, Ban, Kim Ryom, Douglas, Takeuchi, Konishi, Black, Sulunga
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