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Former Queensland Reds halves Quade Cooper and Will Genia are back playing together with the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners for the inaugural season of Japan Rugby League One.
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Kintetsu are in Division 2 of the restructured league and unfortunately saw their round two clash against the Mie Honda Heat postponed over the weekend.
Cooper, who successfully returned to international duty with the Wallabies last year, will have to wait another week to turn around the Liners’ fortunes after a first-up loss to the Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynabours in round one.
Despite going down 25-14 last week, the Australian playmaker demonstrated the silky skills that still make him one of the most entertaining players in the game.
As he has shown throughout his career, Cooper will dare to play in any area of the field, pulling off an audacious play near his own goal line by keeping the ball in play with a back hand offload before backing up again to get another touch.
He drew in two more defenders and threw another offload to give the Liners a great escape inside their own 22.
Quade Cooper having the craic in Japan. pic.twitter.com/QoDTfXdBhh
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) January 13, 2022
The trademark long passes were on display with Cooper pulling off a pass behind the defence.
You can’t be giving Cooper this much time on the ball! pic.twitter.com/QhfOenutfa
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) January 13, 2022
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However, it was a daring counter-attacking movement sparked by Cooper that set up one of two Liners tries on the day when the flyhalf fielded a long kick by ex-All Blacks pivot Colin Slade in the backfield.
Catching the ball just inside his 22, Cooper attacked the short side by throwing a no-look pass and backing up on the inside. Genia backed up on the inside to take the last pass following the sweeping movement.
Kintetsu get their campaign back underway against Honda when round three commences this weekend.
