Frankie Goldsbrough never expected to fly to Japan and have local fans recognise his name. He certainly didn’t expect a Frankie Fan Club.
One thing that will always surprise a first-time player to Japan is how knowledgeable the rugby community is.
The game has been played in Japan for more than 100 years and the values of rugby have always struck a chord with the company-based teams on which the sport’s rise has been built.
It certainly stopped the 18-year-old Queensland Reds centre in his tracks when two female fans approached him, each with a cutout Frankie face with loveheart glasses.
He didn’t read the fine print on the Reds’ supporters flag they were carrying but should have: “I’ve been waiting all my life to meet you.”
It was the same at training when blond-haired Louis Werchon happily won a new fan carrying a cutout of his cherubic face.
For both, it has given them an insight into how fanatical the fans will be for the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights when the Reds try to quell their fire in Monday’s clash at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium.
We continue our Reds Tour Diary with a little history.
Day Eight, Thursday, October 31
Players can always add to their knowledge of rugby history. Some might consider these 2022 and 2024 expeditions to Japan by the Reds as new ground.
The Queensland teams of the 1970s led the way and forged a groundbreaking path to Japan for two games in 1978.
The Maroons of that era beat Japan B (69-18) and All Japan (42-6) on that visit en route to games in Canada and US.
Those matches in Japan were star-is-born stuff with a 19-year-old winger named Brendan Moon racing over for four tries against All Japan.
He hadn’t even played a first grade game in Brisbane to that point. Shrewd talent-spotting eyes are gold and someone had them because he went on to reach 100 games for Queensland and star for the Wallabies.
Careers launch in all different places, right?
More recently, the Reds ventured to Japan in 2006, under coach Eddie Jones, when two little-known youngsters made debuts off the bench against Japan.
You might have heard of them? Will Genia and Quade Cooper.
The Reds worked the flipside by signing Japan's 2015 World Cup hero Ayumu Goromaru for the 2016 Super Rugby season.
No one in Queensland rugby has seen scenes like it.
The first devoted Japanese rugby fan who caught "Goro-fever" bought 17 Reds jerseys online before the cult hero had even played a minute for his new Super Rugby club.
Season memberships were bought on the spot by gleeful Japanese fans at the Reds Fan Day and the queue for his autograph and a cosy photo stretched for 60m at Ballymore.
The Reds had more Japanese media in the press box than local media for most of the eight games he played. He was a huge figure for Japanese fans but his form was only ever lukewarm.
The week is a strange one with a rare Monday game because of the Japanese public holiday that falls that day.
Today is a big session day with plenty of solid contact on the training field and rehearsals for backs and forwards to nail their detail.
Experienced Lock Ryan Smith is rising to the occasion. He’s skipper on tour and his eye for the important things regularly comes out at team meetings and at training.
It’s a full on day and the layout of the Wild Knights facility is just as good as Ballymore.
There’s the gym and ice baths just a short walk from the training field. The team's hotel is less than 250m from the stadium and a mere 400m walk from the training field.
Later in the team room, there’s competition of a different sort.
Coach Les Kiss has introduced a jenga challenge with the tower-building game involving wooden blocks and their careful removal to keep it rising.
It’s a simple head-to-head over the full week like the Round of 32 at Wimbledon and players sort a game time as it suits.
Some flame out early like Tom Lynagh, Connor Vest and Kiss himself. Others play a skilful five-setter like Kalani Thomas and still come off second best to Dre Pakeho.
It’s great team building and fun.
The squad splits into forwards, backs and staff for dinner.
Some Japanese customs are hard to fathom.
Trying to use chopsticks the wrong way around with the fat ends in the food is just not going to work. Sports science specialist Tom Ward learnt the hard way.
The grilled meats of a yakiniku feast are still superb no matter how you try to eat them.
