Eagles, Verblitz secure top-4 spots as 1st stage comes to end

TOKYO (Oct. 19) – The first stage of the 2014-15 Japan Rugby Top League season reached its conclusion Sunday with Canon Eagles and Toyota Verblitz grabbing the last two spots in the top group for the second stage.

 
The top four from Pools A and B will play in Group A when league action resumes on Nov. 28, while the sides finishing fifth to eighth will play in Group B.

Canon ensured they would be in the top group when they picked up a bonus point in 17-14 loss to Kobe Kobelco Steelers, who topped Pool B.

Suntory hammered NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes 61-12 to finish second in the pool, with Canon third and Toyota fourth following a 13-12 victory over Ricoh Black Rams.

Kintetsu Liners finished on the same number of points as Toyota after they beat Coca-Cola Red Sparks 31-14, but their inferior points difference means they miss out on a top four finish. Ricoh finished the first half of the stage in sixth spot, with Cola seventh and Docomo eighth.

The teams finishing first and fifth start the second stage with four point in their respective groups, with second and sixth getting three, third and seventh two and fourth and eighth one.

Panasonic Wild Knights finished top of Pool A thanks to a 43-13 win over fourth-placed NTT Communications Shining Arcs.

Toshiba Brave Lupus finished second even though they finished off the first half of the season with a 19-14 defeat to third-placed Yamaha Jubilo.

Kubota Spears finished fifth after downing Munakata Sanix Blues (8th) 42-28 while NEC Green Rockets were sixth thanks to a 54-33 win over Toyota Industries Shuttles (7th).