Wallabies star Quade Cooper and the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners failed to get their 2022 Japan Rugby League One campaign off to a victorious start after they were beaten by the Sagamihara Mitsubishi Dynaboars on Monday.
In the final match of the new competition’s opening round, Kintetsu were outplayed by Mitsubishi in a 25-14 defeat at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo.
This was in spite of the fact the Liners boasted an all-star halves combo comprised of Cooper and his long-time teammate Will Genia, although the Dynaboars weren’t short of firepower themselves.
The hosts had two-time World Cup-winning All Blacks first-five Colin Slade starting at No 10, as well as ex-All Blacks lock Jackson Hemopo on the bench.
That pair headlined a slew of familiar Kiwi faces in the Dynaboars match day squad, including former North Harbour midfielders Matt Vaega and Michael Little, as well as ex-Otago No 8 Dylan Nel, who was named to make his Mitsubishi debut.
However, it was a little-known New Zealander in the form of Ben Paltridge who got the match off to a flyer when he scored an early contender for try of the season with an acrobatic dive to dot down in the right-hand corner after just two minutes.
That was one of two tries scored by Paltridge, the 29-year-old wing making his Mitsubishi debut after having previously played for the Kurita Water Gush.