Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx scored a crucial try – only his second of the season – as Kubota Spears bounced back from last week’s upset loss to Toyota Verblitz by inflicting an historic 27-22 defeat on Tokyo Sungoliath.
Kubota had mauled their rivals 79-20 when they met earlier in the season, putting a record score on the western Tokyo outfit.
While the calculator was not required on Saturday, there was more pain for a gallant Sungoliath side as they fell to a fourth consecutive Japan Rugby League One defeat for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
Back among the tries
Desperate to break their losing streak, Sungoliath fought hard to avoid their fate, with two tries by rookie Western Cape back-rower Pierich Siebert helping them to a 19-12 half-time advantage after his countryman Marx had driven Kubota ahead with his 27th minute try.
While the World Rugby Player of the Year had been seemingly unstoppable close to the goal-line in previous seasons; a point backed up by a tally of 35 tries from 51 games, his scoring prowess returned at an opportune time, as the Spears eventually subdued their rivals despite a tense finish after a Cheslin Kolbe penalty goal closed the gap to five with 12 minutes to play.
Although beaten, fifth-placed Sungoliath have collected bonus points from each of their last four matches, and are almost over the line as far as qualification for the play-offs is concerned, 11 points clear of seventh-placed Toyota.
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Despite the win, the third-placed Spears were unable to collect a bonus point and are now three behind Kobelco Kobe Steelers on the championship ladder, after they claimed maximum points from their 38-24 win over Verblitz at Aichi.
Steve Hansen’s men were chasing a sixth win from their last seven outings, but they were stunned when rookie Kobe full-back Shunsuke Uenobo crossed for the first of what would become a hat-trick of tries in just the second minute.
The 22-year-old, who burst onto the scene with a try treble on debut against Shizuoka BlueRevs in February, has crossed nine times in as many appearances, scoring in each of his last three games.
Hat-trick for Uenobo
Uenobo completed his hat-trick nine minutes into the second spell to allow Dave Rennie’s charges to edge clear after Verblitz had closed to within four shortly after half-time.
While Uenobo didn’t score again, Kobe winger Inoke Burua did, with the former Fiji U20 international scoring twice in the final stages to round out his side’s impressive victory.
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The 26-year-old, who managed just four tries after joining Kobe from Yokohama last season, has taken time to settle at the Steelers, and went scoreless through his first five appearances this year, but a try against the BlackRams in January lit the fire, and he has now scored 11 tries in his last 10 outings, only going try-less three times during that run.
Kobe are now within a point of table-toppers Saitama Wild Knights on the championship standings.
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