TOKYO – Springboks star Cheslin Kolbe ran in one of Tokyo Sungoliath’s four second-half tries as they kicked off their Japan Rugby League One campaign with a 29-15 comeback win over Black Rams Tokyo on Saturday.
The season-opening clash at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground featured two sides captained by former All Blacks teammates, with flanker Sam Cane leading Sungoliath and No. 9 TJ Perenara skippering the Black Rams.
Sungoliath trailed 8-7 at the break and did not take the lead until former Wallaby Sean McMahon went over in the 63rd minute, with Mikiya Takamoto adding the extras for a 19-15 margin.
Player of the match Kolbe made it 24-15 with his try in the 69th minute, with replacement hooker Tatsuya Miyazaki throwing a long cutout pass to set up the South African flyer after Sungoliath forced a turnover in attacking territory.
The Black Rams’ hopes of regaining the lead evaporated when hooker Masashi Onishi and Perenara were yellow-carded in quick succession, leaving head coach Tabai Matson’s team to finish the game with 13 men.
In other action from the opening day of the season, 2024-25 runners-up Spears Tokyo Bay came back to beat the Kobe Steelers 33-28 despite playing with 14 men following Akira Ieremia’s red card in the 51st minute at Noevir Stadium.
Toyota Verblitz overcame the Mie Heat 44-33, while the Urayasu D-Rocks held off the Sagamihara Dynaboars 27-24.