Former Australia international Israel Folau returns for his first club start in 10 months as his division two leaders Urayasu D-Rocks host second-placed NEC Green Rockets in a mouthwatering top-of-the-table fixture at Yurtec Stadium in Sendai on Saturday.
Once-beaten NEC beat the D-Rocks 31-28 in opening game of the season on 9 December.
D-Rocks has since gone on an unbeaten eight-game winning-streak while the Rockets’ sole defeat this season came against Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi on 16 December.
The Chiba derby pits Wayne Pivac’s in-form side against Johan Ackermann’s cash-rich D-Rocks with both teams assured of a spot in the end-of-season promotion play-off games.
The division two leaders (currently D-Rocks) will play the team who finishes 12th in division one (currently Kintetsu Liners) in a two-leg play-off match.
Division two’s runners-up (currently NEC) will face the team who finishes 11th in division one (currently Mie Honda Heat) in a two-leg play-off match.
The D-Rocks boasts star power on and off the field including former Scottish great Greg Laidlaw whose among their coaching staff after playing for the club (then known as NTT Communications Shining Arcs) from 2020-2023.
Tonga international Israel Folau (above) makes his first start of the season. The long-time Wallaby, who remains the second highest try scorer in Super Rugby history (60), starts at full-back in his first club game since May 2023 after recovering from a knee injury which saw him miss the World Cup.
Folau said: “I’m super excited to be back playing again after a long time on the sidelines. Thank you everyone for the continual support. I’m looking forward to having fun and giving my best.”
Japanese fly-half Hikaru Tamura, a summer signing from Suntory Sungoliath, starts at 10.
Brave Blossoms international James Moore starts at blindside-flanker while former Sharks forward Tyler Paul campaigns at number eight.
Former South Africa U20 hooker Franco Marais, who has scored three tries in his last three games, makes his fifth appearance of the season.
Wallabies star Samu Kerevi misses out through injury.
Meanhwile former Wales head coach Pivac, who steered the Scarlets to an unlikely Pro 12 title in 2017, calls on Kiwi hooker Ash Dixon, a Super Rugby winner with the Highlanders in 2015, who has scored five tries this season.
Former Wallaby Nick Phipps gets the nod at scrum-half while his compatriot and former Rebels lock Sam Jeffries starts in the second row.
Fiji-born outside centre Maritino Nemani will be looking to add to his five tries this term. The former Grenoble player has called Chiba home since 2017 and has changed from a Category B to a Category A player in 2024 meaning he’s now eligible to play for Japan.
NEC’s club captain Lomano Lemeki (below) has played a starring role for his team this season and the versatile Japan international will be crucial to their fortunes in Miyagi.
Namibia’s World Cup fly-half Tiaan Swanepoel, who kicked 22 points in France, is among the replacements.
Former Wales international Jake Ball remains sidelined by an injury.
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
Comments