Panasonic to play Toshiba in season finale

TOKYO (March 1) – The finale of the Japan domestic rugby season will see Panasonic Wild Knights take on Toshiba Brave Lupus for the Japan National Championship following Saturday’s two semifinals in Tokyo and Osaka.

Japan Rugby Top League champions Panasonic ran in six tries – five in the second half – as they proved to strong for Kobe Kobelco Steelers at Komazawa Olympic Park.

The Wild Knights won 46-5 and will be hoping to add to their record of three wins in the championship, having triumphed in 2007-08, 08-09 and 09-10.

Tomoki Kitagawa crossed twice for the Steelers and there were further tries from Seiichi Shimomura, Ryu Koliniasi Holani, Akihito Yamada and Daishi Wakamatsu, with Berrick Barnes adding five conversions and two penalty goals.

“We were patient in the first half and then played the Panasonic brand of rugby in the second half,” said Kitagawa, who led the side in the absence of Shota Horie, who is down in Australia playing Super Rugby for the Rebels.

Steven Bates was Toshiba’s hero in their 25-24 win over Suntory Sungoliath at Osaka’s Hanazono Stadium. The veteran flanker scored two second-half tries as Toshiba came back from 24-6 down to edge their local rivals.

Suntory center Ryan Nicholas had a chance to win the game at the death, but his penalty missed the mark.

The final, to be played at National Stadium on March 9,  will be Toshiba’s first since 2007 and marks the first time since 2010 that Suntory have not made it to the last game of the season.

The Wild Knights and Brave Lupus met three times in the regular season with Panasonic winning the two regular season games 40-22 and 14-12, and the Top League playoff semifinal 55-15.