Suntory, Yamaha to meet in season finale

OSAKA (Feb. 22) – The final game of the 2014-15 domestic rugby season – to be played next Saturday at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground – will see Yamaha Jubilo take on Suntory Sungoliath for the All-Japan Championship.

Yamaha reached their first ever AJC final by beating Toshiba Brave Lupus 21-9, while Suntory downed Japan Rugby Top League champions Panasonic Wild Knights 31-25 at Hanazono Rugby Ground to reach their 10th final.

Mose Tuiali’i and Tatsuhiko Otao touched down for Yamaha and Ayumu Goromaru kicked three penalties and a conversion as Yamaha rebounded from their loss to Panasonic in the LIXIL Cup final.

Takahiro Ogawa kicked three penalties for Toshiba, who were unable to break a well-disciplined Yamaha defence.

“We were able to establish our game in the second half, after allowing Toshiba to set the pace in the first,” said Yamaha coach Katsuyuki Kiyomiya.

In the second game of the doubleheader in Osaka, Tusi Pisi scored a try, two conversions and four penalty goals and Shinnosuke Kakinaga and Kenta Tsukamoto both crossed in the second half for Suntory.

A try three minutes from time by Keisuke Uchida, converted by Berrick Barnes set up a grandstand finish but the Suntory defence held firm to deny the Wild Knights a chance of repeating last year’s double.

Barnes had earlier kicked two penalties and a conversion with Panasonic’s other tries coming from Takamasa Sakai and You Young Nam.

It was a really tough game,” said Suntory coach Naoyo Okubo. “Panasonic took the Top League and they are a team we hate to face. “We needed to attack and out of that we got some tries so I’m happy. Everyone pulled together and hopefully we’ll be able to carry it forward one more time.”