Panasonic, Yamaha top respective groups

TOKYO (Nov. 21) – With one game remaining in Round 2 of the Japan Rugby Top League 2015-16, last year’s LIXIL Cup finalists top their respective groups.

Defending Top League champions Panasonic Wild Knights beat Kintetsu Liners 47-27 victory to top Group A on points difference from NTT Communications Shining Arcs, while Yamaha Jubilo thrashed Toyota Industries Shuttles 43-0 to head Group B.

Panasonic trailed 20-13 at halftime after South Africans Damian de Allende and Pierre Spies had touched down for the Liners.

But they were a different team in the second stanza running in four tries with Tomoki Kitagawa adding to his first-half effort and Yasutaka Sasakura, Ryu Koliniasi Holani and JP Pietersen all going over.

NTT Communications also had a second half to remember as they picked up their second straight bonus point win with a 37-13 defeat of Toshiba Brave Lupus.

Amanaki Lelei Mafi touched down twice as Rob Penney’s team scored 27 unanswered points in Kagoshima.

The two other Group A games saw Suntory Sungoliath and Honda Heat pick up their first wins of the season.

Fourie du Preez was among the try scorers as Suntory topped Kubota Spears 55-14, while newly promoted Honda beat Ricoh Black Rams 24-18.

In Group B, Siale Piutau crossed twice for Yamaha and Ayumu Goromaru added 13 points for Jubilo as they made it two wins from two games.

Kobe Kobelco Steelers could join Yamaha on 9 points if they pick up a bonus point win against NEC Green Rockets on Sunday.

In the other games, Adam Thomson helped Canon Eagles defeat NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes 34-17, while Toyota Verblitz topped Coca-Cola Red Sparks 35-18, the first wins of the season for both sides.