Springboks star Cheslin Kolbe scored 17 points as Tokyo Sungoliath claimed a commanding 39-22 win over BlackRams Tokyo, completing a regular season double over their capital city rivals ahead of another meeting between the teams in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
Sungoliath were in front from the 12th minute when former Chiefs fly-half Kaleb Trask scored the game\u2019s opening try, with Kolbe posting his side\u2019s third of the first half as they led 19-10.<\/p>\n
While a try by ex-Wallaby back-rower Liam Gill closed the gap to four straight after the break, the BlackRams did not score again as Sungoliath continued to dominate, with Trask scoring his side\u2019s fifth try in the 80th minute to cap the 17-point win.<\/p>\n
Kwagga Smith scores<\/p>\n
While not reaching the heights of last season\u2019s incredible run to the play-offs with 14 wins, Shizuoka BlueRevs\u2019 42-15 victory over Yokohama Canon Eagles, coupled with Mie Honda Heat\u2019s 38-26 defeat of Toyota Verblitz, secured seventh for Kwagga Smith\u2019s side, which represented their second highest placing in the five seasons since League One inaugurated.<\/p>\n
Departing Springboks<\/a> star Faf de Klerk was left on the bench by Eagles coach Leon MacDonald. By the time he entered for his 42nd and final league appearance at the start of the second half, Yokohama were behind 35-5, with Smith a try-scorer while winger Malo Tuitama had touched down twice.<\/p>\n The Brave Blossoms<\/a> international ended his season with 11 tries, six coming in the final four matches, after having been the competition\u2019s leading try-scorer two years ago when he finished with 15.<\/p>\n Mark Tele\u2019a double<\/p>\n Honda moved up two places after their seventh win of the campaign, overtaking Yokohama and Toyota, with Flying Fijians hooker Tevita Ikanivere bookending his maiden season in League One by scoring his 10th try; the third most by a forward behind Brodie Retallick and Faulua Makisi.<\/p>\n The home side ran in five tries to lead 31-0 at the break, and while All Black<\/a> Mark Tele\u2019a spearheaded a revival with a double, Verblitz ran out of time, as Kieran Crowley\u2019s side held on to end Steve Hansen\u2019s reign as Toyota\u2019s director of rugby on a flat note.<\/p>\n Having been in with a chance of the play-offs two weeks ago, the former All Black coaches\u2019 charges ended in ninth, only one place ahead of last season, and a third consecutive finish in the bottom half, after landing fifth and sixth in the league\u2019s first two editions.<\/p>\n Brodie Retallick\u2019s Kobelco Kobe Steelers end Malcolm Marx\u2019s side\u2019s remarkable run while Richie Mo\u2019unga-less Toshiba Brave Lupus nilled<\/a><\/p>\n Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars coach Glenn Delaney has a few problems to solve ahead of The Replacement Battle after his side sagged to its sixth defeat in a row following a 29-22 loss to a resurgent Urayasu D-Rocks.<\/p>\n Buoyed by last week\u2019s upset win against the Wild Knights, D-Rocks held the initiative for most of a contest which at times represented a straight shootout between Urayasu flyhalf Hikaru Tamura and Dynaboars winger Matt Vaega.<\/p>\n Both players scored two tries, but the Urayasu man topped his opponent by two points, with the last of Tamura\u2019s 19 points coming from a 70th minute converted try which broke a 22-22 deadlock.<\/p>\n Israel Folau, who is leaving the club at season\u2019s end, had earlier scored his eighth try of the campaign to help D-Rocks to a 17-8 half-time lead.<\/p>\n Noah Lolesio edges Manie Libbok<\/p>\n The Dynaboars will play Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi in the two-legged promotion\/relegation series after Wallaby pivot Noah Lolesio won his head-to-head battle with Springbok fly-half Manie Libbok to help his side clinch back-to-back Division Two titles following a dramatic 34-27 win over Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old contributed 14 points, including the second half try that edged the Shuttles ahead by 11 points, which left Kintetsu \u2013 who needed to win to keep their season alive \u2013 in mortal danger.<\/p>\n