Bates scores three tries in Toshiba win

TOKYO (Sept. 20) – Toshiba Brave Lupus went top of Pool A in the Japan Rugby Top League on Saturday following a 35-10 victory over Toyota Industries Shuttles.

Steven Bates grabbed a hat-trick of tries and 2007 Rugby World Cup winner Francois Steyn marked his Toshiba debut with a 50-meter penalty as the Brave Lupus made it four wins and a loss for the season.

The victory sees Toshiba go into the two-week break with 20 points. Yamaha Jubilo, who play Kubota Spears on Sunday, are currently second with 16 points with Panasonic Wild Knights third on 14 ahead of their Round 5 clash with Munakata Sanix Blues.

Saturday’s other three games were all in Pool B with Canon Eagles, Kintetsu Liners and Ricoh Black Rams all triumphant.

Canon beat NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes 24-10 with Adam Thomson scoring his sixth try of the season. The win lifts Canon into third spot on 17 points, six behind pool leaders Kobe Kobelco Steelers and one shy of Suntory Sungoliath.

The loss, meanwhile, means NTT Docomo will play in the second tier Group B in the second half of the season as they cannot finish in the top four of Pool B.

Kobe could have qualified for the top group of the second stage on Saturday if Kintetsu had lost. But Yasumasa Shigemitsu kicked four penalty goals and three conversions as the Liners beat Toyota Verblitz 38-31 for their third win of the season.

Ricoh had the biggest win of the day as they hammered Coca-Cola Red Sparks 53-5 to make it a miserable first game in Tokyo for former Wallaby Nick Cummins.

Daisuke Komatsu and Shori Hoshino grabbed a brace of tries apiece and man-of-the-match Daniel Peters scored a try, a penalty and five conversions as the Black Rams picked up their first win of the season.