A look at the problems for the Japanese Super Rugby side the SunWolves, whose poor organisation and lack of preparation have left them faced with a daunting debut season.
The idea for a Japanese Super Rugby side was lobbied for by Eddie Jones, and eventually was chosen over the rival Eric Series backed Singapore based Asia Pacific Dragons side.
But ever since Jones got his wish in the second half of 2014, the side has faced a number of problems.
Basically every single announcement about the side, whether it be their name, their coach, their squad, and various other things have all been months late, and had numerous amateurish moments which Japan rugby journalist Rich Freeman has reported on repeatedly for Kyodo News.
Last August Eddie Jones, who was initially to continue in Japan as Director of Rugby of the Super Rugby side along with taking the Cherry Blossoms to the 2019 World Cup, clearly exasperated at how his pet project was burning, confirmed he was quitting. Meanwhile SANZAR repeatedly expressed their concerns at the lack of progress.
There were a few frustrations Jones had with the JRFU, but the struggle of the SunWolves to get off the ground was clearly one of his biggest, and indeed he even said he was quite surprised that they were going ahead at all when it was confirmed they were.
The fact there was always going to be conflict between the corporation clubs in releasing their players and accommodating their season came as no surprise.
Reportedly the Top League sides were split on the idea of Super Rugby to begin with. Then there were complicated corporation job for life contracts to work around.
In the end it took up until 21 December for the squad to finally be named. The confirmation of the full coaching staff was only still being announced last month with Nathan Mauger and Filo Tiatia joining Mark Hammett as assistants.
The SunWolves are going ahead. But there are numerous factors that could make this one of the grimmest seasons in professional rugby history.
The squad
The SunWolves failed to sign several of the marquee names of the Japan RWC squad. Michael Leitch, Fumiaki Tanaka, Ayumu Goromaru, Amanaki Lelei Mafi, Kensuke Hatakeyama, Male Sa'u, Kotaro Matsushima are all playing elsewhere.
Nor did they bring in a great deal of high calibre overseas experience to plug the gaps. Most of their Southern Hemisphere recruits are players who have only made it as squad cover at Super Rugby level, if they got to that level at all.
And whilst it should be acknowledged there are some players of high class. Such as Shota Horie or Harumichi Tatekawa who both shone at the RWC last year. Or others like Keita Inagaki or the American Andrew Durutalo who it will be fascinating to see how they fare at this level. The majority of the squad is simply out of its depth, especially as you go beyond the potential starting XV.
And that is particularly relevant when you consider when the uniquely gruelling travel schedule, injuries and fatigue kicks in the squad will need to be rotated.
There is not a strong depth of talent in Japan. When Eddie Jones played second string Japan sides they almost always lost badly, such as the French Barbarians in 2012, Gloucester in 2013, they even lost to a scratch Asia Pacific Dragons side in 2014.
Some of the players in this SunWolves squad weren't even in Jones' second string sides, or even in contention at all, and haven't even won an Asian 5 Nations cap.
There are about 10 players in the squad who have never played at a higher level than the Top League, a notoriously soft league, that Eddie Jones said was of a lower standard than facing Hong Kong or South Korea.
For those players, having barely ever experienced much outside the softer Japanese style rugby, to head into playing and succeed in the tough environment of South African rugby is a monumental ask.
Even for the more experienced players, like Tatekawa or Inagaki, facing that week in week out is still a new experience and a tough challenge. For many of players, playing in environments such as high altitude in Pretoria is a completely new experience.
Preparation time
Other Super Rugby sides had long established their squads and long begun pre-season before the SunWolves squad was even confirmed.
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| Other Super Rugby sides began pre- season a month before the SunWolves squad was even announced. |
Indeed the SunWolves squad only first assembled from their Top League club two weeks ago on February the 3rd.
That means they will have had 3 weeks to learn and adapt to Mark Hammett's systems and find cohesion as a squad, whilst other sides will have had years. This to some degree will be more of a scratch squad to begin with.
The lack of a full length pre-season of strength & conditioning is massively important as well. Eddie Jones used to complain of conditioning at Top League clubs, saying they were running the weight off his players.
The fact is that the type of strength & conditioning required in Top League is miles from the sort of programs their opponents will have been spending the past few months doing.
With the time constraints, there is very limited Hammett and his coaching staff can actually do about this. Jones had 6 months, longer than any other RWC side, smashing his players out of their Top League conditioning and into the shape needed to compete.
Travel
The travel schedule this SunWolves side face is gargantuan. There are few sporting sides who will have seen much like it.
As Japan Rugby Club illustrated, they will travel 80,277km over the course of the season. That's twice the circumference of the planet and surely going to take it's toll by the end of the season.
Whilst other sides will rotate and rest at point over the season. The SunWolves squad does not have strong depth though, so will be forced to at some point choose between either burnt out senior figures in the side or playing weaker players well out of their depth. Either way it's a lose.
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| Illustration of Japan's Super Rugby travel schedule |
The SunWolves squad seem to be under no illusion that this season will be difficult. Captain Shota Horie said 'the first year will be mostly hardship', whilst others have reportedly said just winning a single game will be a huge success.
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| Shota Horie has admitted the 'first year will be mostly hardship' |
But as the inevitable losses mount up and morale drops, naturally the season will become only more and more difficult.
Squads running low on confidence and morale often tend to fade when things are going wrong and are liable to facing even uglier thrashings.
This factor likely just adds the factors pointed out above as to why the SunWolves may not just lose nearly every game, but cop some absolute hammerings on the way.
It is not fun to get thrashed every week, and it will be probably even less fun doing it living out of a suitcase flying thousands of kilometres every week to do so.
By the time the SunWolves finish off their season with a trips to Pretoria and Durban, confidence will be shot and they'll likely just be looking forward to the end of the season.
This could also have a knock on effect to the national team as well. We've seen in Italy since joining the Pro12, some of their players have amassed hideous win/loss records.
Their new prop Matteo Zanusso for instance has not won a game of rugby for over a year in a losing streak running 27 matches. That cannot be good for the confidence of a young player.
With a number of players in the national team coming off a series of heavy losses with the SunWolves, the low morale could seep into the national team's June tests with Scotland.
Fans
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| How many new Japan fans from the RWC will be interested in a doomed Super Rugby side? |
Overnight a sport on the decline failing to get much coverage in Japan became front page news and the players heroes. TV viewing figures were off the charts for the Cherry Blossom's final three pool matches at that tournament.
Now whilst there will be a novelty to the SunWolves side. I cannot think of a precedent where a domestic side getting badly beaten every week, with nothing to play for like relegation or anything, has built up a solid fan base. Just see the tiny crowds Italian club rugby has attracted in the Pro12.
Super Rugby as a whole is already inconvenient to follow with so many different time zones making it far from the weekend afternoon routine sports fans tend to prefer. The fact it is almost certain this side will struggle makes it an even tougher watch for a fan. And just to add to that, reports are that the JRFU have opted to a hike prices to three times more than that of an average Top League game.
The major worry is whether following up the afterglow of the RWC with a doomed Super Rugby side carries a very real risk of losing many of the newer fans that were attracted by the historic win over South Africa.
This becomes an even bigger worry when you consider that there would need to be quite drastic change for this Japanese side to be much more than a perpetual Super Rugby version of the 2014/15 London Welsh side.
Future
The theory is that this side will get Japanese rugby the higher level exposure they badly need. Whilst that fact on its own is true, as we've seen with Italy, there are numerous other challenges and it's far from a guarantee for generating success for Japanese rugby.
It is unknown as yet the exact details behind the funding of this side, but it will be interesting to see just how much this operation is costing the JRFU, who reportedly far from cash rich to begin with.
The truth is that this comes across only as a top down solution, whilst the major problems at the grassroots and domestic level have simply been ignored.
Looking at it with a glass half full, the more experience for players should help Japan maybe against other Tier 2 sides. But really it still doesn't address numerous burning issues elsewhere within in Japan rugby, and risks being a wasted use of resources.
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