TOKYO – Springboks star Cheslin Kolbe scored a brace of tries as Tokyo Sungoliath came back late before running away with a 43-25 win against Toyota Verblitz in Japan Rugby League One action on Saturday.
The two-time World Cup winner also kicked seven points for the home team but was replaced after limping from the field late in the second half at Ajinomoto Stadium.
The 32-year-old Kolbe, who dotted down in Sungoliath’s season-opening win over Black Rams Tokyo last weekend, put Kosei Ono’s men ahead 5-3 with the opening try from an offload by No. 8 Tevita Tatafu in the 17th minute.
Sungoliath took a 15-11 lead into the break, with Shodai Hirao also crossing the whitewash for the Tokyo side, while Toyota’s points came from two Rikiya Matsuda penalties and former All Black No. 9 Aaron Smith’s try from a cleverly executed lineout.
Converted efforts from Taichi Takahashi and Kazuki Himeno gave head coach Steve Hansen’s visiting side a 25-15 buffer before Kolbe crossed for his second try and booted the extras to cut the margin to a single kick at 25-22.
The hosts regained the lead when Kenta Fukuda went over in the 72nd minute and then slammed the door on Toyota with further unanswered tries from Kohei Yasuda and Ryuga Hashimoto.
In the day’s other match, former Wallaby Bernard Foley booted 15 points for Spears Tokyo Bay in a 50-28 victory over the Black Rams at Chiba’s Fukuda Denshi Arena.
Head coach Frans Ludeke’s Spears, who were last season’s runners-up, improved to 2-0 while the Black Rams remained looking for their first victory.