Wings fire Suntory past NEC

TOKYO (Dec. 7) – A hat-trick of tries by man-of-the-match Kenta Tsukamoto and a brace from fellow wing Yasunori Nagatomo saw Suntory Sungoliath beat NEC Green Rockets 52-24 Saturday in the Japan Rugby Top League to remain top of Group A with a maximum 14 points.

The victory at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground avenged a 34-33 in Round 3 of the first stage and means Suntory remain a point ahead of Panasonic Wild Knights.

Kosei Ono also touched down for the two-time defending champions, while Ryan Nicholas kicked five conversions and four first-half penalties.

NEC’s points came from tries by Koichi Ohigashi and Nemani Nadolo with Shaun Webb adding a conversion and four first-half penalties of his own.

Suntory’s next game is against Panasonic, who picked up their second win of the second stage by beating Toyota Verblitz 32-11. Ryu Koliniasi Holani scored two tries and Berrick Barnes weighed in with three conversions and a penalty for the Wild Knights.

In the day’s other game in the top tier, Yamaha Jubilo picked up their first win of the second stanza, downing Kobe Kobelco Steelers 35-16. Ayumu Goromaru finished the day with 15 points, courtesy of three penalty goals and three conversions.

In the second-tier Group B, there were big wins for Ricoh Blacks Rams and Toyota Shokki Shuttles.

Ricoh No. 8 Colin Bourke scored a try and a drop goal as the Black Rams thrashed NTT Communications Shining Arcs 47-16, while Rikiya Asami scored three tries and Shotaro Onishi knocked over six conversions and a penalty as the Shuttles hammered Kintetsu Liners 50-29.