Kobe Remain Unbeaten Thanks to Win Over Toshiba

TOKYO (Sept. 22) Kobe Kobelco Steelers remained unbeaten after five games of the 2017-18 Japan Rugby Top League season Friday thanks to a 32-25 victory over Toshiba Brave Lupus.

The win was Kobe’s fifth of the season and sees them lead the Red Conference ahead of the seven other games to be played over the weekend. Toshiba, meanwhile, remain bottom of the group with just one win to their name.

Despite torrential rain that fell throughout the day in Tokyo and got heavier as the night progressed, the two teams combined for eight tries on an entertaining evening at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground.

Toshiba started well and were on the scoreboard first through a try by Michael Leitch the eighth minute.

Flyhalf Coenraad van Wyk missed the conversion but added a penalty seven minutes later as Toshiba went 8-0 up.

The Steelers responded, however, with tries by Adam Ashley-Cooper – his first in the Top League – and Ryuta Yasui as the momentum seemed to swing their way.

However, it was Toshiba who had the last score of the half with van Wyk touching down and adding the extras to his own five-pointer to make it 15-10 at the break.

The Brave Lupus extended their lead early in the second half thanks to an interception try from tighthead prop Takuma Asahara, before Kobe once again hit back with Hisateru Hirashima touching down following a charge down.

Kobe captain Shohei Maekawa then scored the first of his two tries as the sides drew level before van Wyk once again put Toshiba ahead with a penalty in the 60th minute.

Man-of-the-match Maekawa, however, sealed the game with a try in the 67th minute following a 13-man maul and Nick Ealey added the conversion and a penalty to seal the win.