Defending Japan Rugby League One champions Toshiba Brave Lupus returned to winning ways this weekend while Ardie Savea starred for the Kobelco Kobe Steelers.<\/p>\n
We recap the weekend\u2019s action from a New Zealand perspective, as Sir Steve Hansen and Ian Foster\u2019s men continued their late charge for a play-off spot.<\/p>\n
Seta Tamanivalu and runaway prop shine for Toshiba<\/p>\n
Ex-All Blacks<\/a> centre-turned Flying Fijian star, Seta Tamanivalu, scored a hat-trick for Toshiba Brave Lupus as they secured a 40-24 win over the Urayasu D-Rocks, their first victory since mid-January, ending an eight-game losing streak.<\/p>\n The 34-year-old, who had also scored against D-Rocks in the corresponding fixture in January, dotted down in the 10th, 50th, and 67th minutes, flexing his trademark pace, power, and knack for being in the right place at the right time. Meanwhile, Crusaders-bound fly-half Richie Mo\u2019unga<\/a> played a conductor role throughout the match, pitching in with 10 points off the tee.<\/p>\n While Tamanivalu crossed for three tries, the pick of the scores came from replacement tighthead prop Teruo Makabe, who latched onto an offload from Hiroki Yamamoto on the D-Rocks\u2019 10-metre line. The 23-year-old dummied the covering defence and had enough gas to sprint away for the try.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Ardie Savea\u2019s brace<\/p>\n Brodie Retallick\u2019s try-scoring efforts have dominated the headlines this Japan Rugby League One season<\/a>, but it was Savea who shone this time around for Dave Rennie\u2019s Kobelco Kobe Steelers as they marched to a 40-19 win over BlackRams Tokyo.<\/p>\n Savea could well have claimed a hat-trick had his second effort not been chalked off after a TMO review. Still, his brace was enough to help Kobe collect maximum league points to breeze past the Spears on the points table and into second position.<\/p>\n Who\u2019s hot and who\u2019s not: All Black \u2018finally\u2019 fires, French dominate Champions Cup, South Africans bow out and lack of Leicester \u2018criticism\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Ardie Savea \u2018vehemently refutes\u2019 revolt against Scott Robertson as details of \u2018shocking\u2019 decision to quit All Blacks revealed<\/a><\/p>\n Both of the All Black star\u2019s tries came from close range, with the back-rower using his strength to muscle over. His former club and Test teammate, TJ Perenara, also got on the scoresheet for the Black Rams, who ended the weekend in fifth position.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Toyota Verblitz\u2019s comeback<\/p>\n Finally, Hansen and Foster\u2019s Toyota Verblitz continued their late surge for a place in the play-offs after securing their fifth consecutive win after just one win from their opening eight games.<\/p>\n The former All Blacks coaches\u2019 side started Saturday a whopping 31 points behind their opponents on the championship standings, but they were too good for former league leaders Kubota Spears, sealing a 24-7 victory in Gifu.<\/p>\n