Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath are going to have to dig deep.
With the regular season entering its final third in Japan Rugby League One, the five-time national champions are in largely unchartered territory, facing the almost unthinkable possibility that they might not reach the play-offs.
If it happens, it would be only the third time the club – which boasts Springbok Cheslin Kolbe, All Black Sam Cane and Wallaby Sean McMahon on the playing roster – has not featured at the top end of the competition since a nationwide league began in 2003.
The 2015-16 season was the last occasion in which Suntory were absent from the post-season.
Sungoliath almost stumbled into the semi-finals last year, having not won for three weeks prior to their elimination by Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.
This season has been even more unkind.
After 12 matches, which has included two draws, Suntory are five points astern of the play-offs places in eighth, despite the post-season having been enlarged to include half of the division’s 12 participants.
Sungoliath have lost six matches, including their last three, with the most recent a real gut-puncher, coming after play-off rivals Kobe scored an 80th minute try.
Mortifyingly, the match-winner came off a play when Suntory only had to claim their last lineout feed and kick the ball out to win.
The manner of that demise reflected much of Suntory’s season: close but not close enough.
While not their only deficiency, the fact the club’s three foreign internationals have managed just 22 appearances between them hasn’t helped.
Kolbe’s return is indicative of Suntory’s troubles.
The 31-year-old has scored just six tries from 18 appearances since he landed in western Tokyo last year.
Meanwhile his Bok teammate Kurt-Lee Arendse is thriving, with seven from 11 outings during his season-long loan spell in Japan.
Arendse’s performance has given seventh-placed Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars the cutting edge they lacked.
They are one of three sides jostling with Suntory for the last play-offs invitation.
While a series of unpredictable results has made for a congested mid-table, Suntory – who were last champions in 2017-18 – can’t retain title aspirations if the former glamour boys don’t begin winning, starting with Saturday’s clash against the impressive Shizuoka BlueRevs.
It is one of the feature games in a round which also sees an increasingly desperate Toyota Verblitz visit an out-of-form Yokohama Canon Eagles, who are sixth but under siege.
The pair have won just once each since the start of February when Canon beat Toyota 24-20.
On Sunday, one of them must win.
A draw helps neither.
The Dynaboars and Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo will be watching closely, while measuring their own semi-final aspirations against Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay and Kobe respectively.
Elsewhere, Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights face Urayasu D-Rocks, while Toshiba Brave Lupus tackle Mie Honda Heat.
