Suntory help Toshiba book playoff spot
TOKYO (Jan. 18) – Toshiba Brave Lupus became the third side to book a place in the Japan Rugby Top League playoffs on Saturday thanks to local rivals Suntory Sungoliath.
Suntory team beat Yamaha Jubilo 22-19 at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground to ensure the Brave Lupus, who finish their regular season on Sunday, cannot finish outside the top four in Group A.
Ryan Nicholas marked his 100th Top League game by kicking five penalties and converting a first-half try by Daishi Murata as Suntory ended the second stage on 32 points.
Nicholas is the second foreign-born player after Toshiba’s Nataniela Oto to reach that milestone.
Panasonic need a point from their final game against NEC Green Rockets to finish the stage in top spot, while Kobe need just a point from their game with Toshiba (or avoid a 37-point defeat) to cement the final playoff spot.
Things will also go down to the wire at the bottom end of the league with the game between Coca-Cola West Red Sparks and Kyuden Voltex in Group B set to determine which of those two sides or NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes will automatically be relegated.
Docomo beat Toyota Shokki Shuttles 38-12 for their second straight win to ensure they finish the regular season on 14 points, the same as Cola currently have and three more than Kyuden.
The two sides that avoid the automatic drop still face a promotion/relegation playoff against two of the sides from the Top Challenge Series.
Kubota Spears finished the second stage on top of Group B despite a 28-13 defeat to Ricoh Black Rams, for whom Pohiva Yamato Lotoahea touched down twice.
Kintetsu Liners finished in second spot thanks to a 38-14 win over NTT Communications Shining Arcs, a defeat that means Comms must beat the side finishing last in the Top Challenge Series to keep their spot in the Top League.
Ricoh finished third and Shokki fourth and the top four sides join the bottom four teams of Group A in the wild card tournament for two spots in the season-ending All-Japan Championship.