Suntory Open TL Season by Beating Canon

TOKYO (Aug. 18) – Defending champions Suntory Sungoliath opened their Japan Rugby Top League 2017-18 season with a big win and a record crowd welcomed back Rugby World Cup 2015 hero Ayumu Goromaru as the new season got underway Friday.

Suntory ran in five tries in a 32-5 win over Canon Eagles at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground with last season’s MVP Takaaki Nakazuru touching down twice.

Shunta Nakamura, George Smith and Daishi Murata also bagged five pointers while Kosei Ono weighed in with two conversions and a penalty goal for Suntory, who handed Wallabies legend Matt Giteau his Top League debut.

Canon battled hard but only had a try from Richard Arthur Havili to show for their efforts.

A crowd of 27,871 at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, welcomed home Ayumu Goromaru following his time with the Reds and Toulon. And the Japan fullback didn’t disappoint, kicking two conversions that eventually proved the difference as Yamaha Jubilo beat Toyota Verblitz 14-11.

Tamati Ellison also had his kicking boots on as he knocked over four penalties to help Ricoh Black Rams beat NTT Communications Shining Arcs 17-13 in the first game of the doubleheader in the nation’s capital.

Rugby World Cup 2011 winner Andy Ellis bagged a hat-trick of tries and Codey Rei contributed 19 points through a try, four conversions and two penalty goals as Kobe Kobelco Steelers (for whom Adam Ashley-Cooper made his TL debit off the bench) beat NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes 39-16 in Osaka.

The second game of the day in Osaka provided even more drama with a last-minute drop goal from Yasumasa Shigemitsu helping Kintetsu Liners beat Toyota Industries Shuttles 13-12.