Panasonic Flyer Fukuoka Bags 6 Tries to Match TL Record

TOKYO (Dec. 10) – Panasonic Wild Knights wing Kenki Fukuoka equaled a Japan Rugby Top League record Saturday as his team beat Honda Heat 69-14 at Osaka’s Hanazono Rugby Stadium.

The 24-year-old flyer scored six of Panasonic’s 11 tries to match former NEC Green Rockets wing Nemani Nadolo, who did the feat against the same opposition on Dec. 18, 2011.

Richard Buckman weighed in with a brace for the Wild Knights, for whom Wallabies back-row forward David Pocock was making his Top League debut.

The victory sees Robbie Deans’ team on 43 points in third place. But they were unable to gain ground on the two top sides as Yamaha Jubilo and Suntory Sungoliath both won.

Yamaha beat NEC Green Rockets 47-5 on the back of a brace of tries from hooker Takeshi Hino and 17 points from Gerhard van den Heever, courtesy of a try and six conversions.

Yamaha top the standings with 53 points, one more than Suntory, who beat Coca-Cola Red Sparks 48-12.

Shota Emi bagged a second-half brace for Suntory after Rio Olympian Kameli Soejima had marked his first Top League start with two tries to give Cola an early 12-0 lead.

Harumichi Tatekawa was Kubota Spears’ hero, the Japan co-captain crossing in the final minute of the first of the day’s games at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground to give his side a 21-18 victory over Ricoh Black Rams.

In the day’s other game, Canon Eagles edged Kintetsu Liners 17-10, thanks to a try seven minutes from time by Michael Bond, converted by JC Roos.