Four-time Top League champions Toshiba showed their championship mettle Sunday, overcoming a 21-7 halftime deficit to stun Suntory in the Microsoft Cup semi finals.
The defending champs ran in four second half tries to seal a memorable 35-24 victory over their Fuchi rivals, who only four weeks ago thrashed them 59-22 in the lead-up to the Microsoft Cup.
Missing from Toshiba’s line-up that day were star first five David Hill and his former Bristol teammate Neil Brew.
The Toshiba center made his presence immediately felt with a series of strong carries before a midfield break and some nice interplay from the backs saw Toshiba fullback Goshi Tachikawa cross over untouched in the corner.
The ball handling and change of angle were of such high quality that it appeared an upset was in the making long before the second half, but a ten minute stretch before halftime saw Suntory run in three quick tries to open up a fourteen point lead.
Suntory halfback George Gregan showed no shortage of passion as the former Wallaby captain pushed big Suntory hooker Takashi Yamaoka over the line for a try, leaping on top of the big man and screaming as if it were a World Cup final.
Moments later, Suntory winger Yasunori Nagatomo capped off a sensational solo run from 22 metres out and it appeared Suntory were picking up where they left off four weeks ago, but Toshiba must surely now be considered the Crusaders of Japanese rugby.
During the halftime break, Toshiba coach Tomohiro Segawa had his men focus on scoring first, but the manner in which they scored was so remarkable that it singlehandedly spurred their entire comeback.
Two minutes into the second half, Toshiba lock-forward Yuta Mochizuki found himself in space 66 metres out from the Suntory line. With no-one to pass to, the big lock set off down the paddock and kept on running … the type of run lock-forwards dream about.
The cover defence caught up with him as the chalk was in sight, but he crashed over the line for a huge video review that turned the game on its head.
Suddenly, the bounce of the ball started going Toshiba’s way, as it so often does during a comeback; and after a stock New Zealand first five eighths try under the posts from David Hill, Goshi Tachikawa added to the madness with some crazy soccer skills.
Toshiba have long been known for their strong mauling skills, so it was fitting that the game winning try came from a rolling maul; Stephen Bates emerging from the bottom of a mass pile-up with the type of satisfaction and comradery only a forward can derive from such a well executed push and drive.
Bates was at the heart of everything Toshiba did, as he has been since signing with the club.
Time and time again, he threw himself into rucks and mauls as Toshiba dominated the forward exchanges in the second half, rekindling memories of why they’ve been such a dominant side over the past five years.
Toshiba wilted with the Bates try, charging the missed conversion by Hill far too early, resulting in a successful reattempt by the Toshiba pivot.
That left them eleven points adrift instead of a more manageable nine, and despite winning a succession of penalties at the end which saw a Toshiba player sinbinned, the Brave Lupus defence held firm as they closed out the type of victory that defines their club.
In the other semi-final, a Tony Brown-less Sanyo managed to hold off a late surge from Toyota to reach the Microsoft Cup for the third year in a row.
Toyota scored in the 76th minute to get within four points of the competition leaders, but Sanyo managed to negotiate the tricky three minute period and hold on for a 25-21 victory.
The stage is set now for a rematch of last year’s Microsoft Cup, which Toshiba won 17-6.
Toshiba must now surely be hot favourites to retain their rugby crown, while Sanyo will be hoping that the third time is indeed the charm.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Rocked along to the final today. Strong 18,000 crowd, though I think it's a little rough that Toshiba get a home final when they finished third in league play. They wore their away strip but the crowd was almost entirely pro-Toshiba. Toshiba won 6-0 winning their fifth Top League title in six years. Sanyo lost for the third year in a row in a final where neither side could score a try.
Dave
Guest
When do players have a say in their NRL clubs ? Members don't have any voting rights in the NZ Warriors, Storms, Broncos, Cowboys and many other clubs.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Wow, made a bit of a blunder here. It's not called the Microsoft Cup anymore since Microsoft withdrew their sponsorship. The reason Tony Brown missed the semi was a two week suspension for punching a Suntory player in their final round match-up. He sat in the stands with Robbie Deans. Dunno what Robbie was doing in Japan.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Well, in that sense there are very few professional clubs anywhere in the world.
Travis
Guest
"real clubs" give players and members voting rights and a say in their club. A Japanese workplace team is a group of collected employees. They have no say. A bit like the Waratahs I suppose.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Well, the All Japan championships still take place. They've just expanded it so that 10 teams take part in a knockout tournament instead of having the top university face the top company side in a one-off game. This invariably means that the top company sides make the final and they don't get the huge university crowds like they used to, but a university side hasn't won the All Japan championships since Waesda in 1987. The format was changed in 1997 quite a few years before the Top League was created.
Harry Kimble
Roar Guru
Previous to the present corporate semi-pro Rugby in Japan, a different system was in operation There were two competitions in operation, one involving different companies and the other was the university competition. The grand final was the game between the winners of the two competitions. Crowds of up to 60,000 attended this match. However, companies started to buy the best uni graduates and uni players could not play for the uni after they had graduated so the grand finals became lop-sided and the company started to win by massive scores. When overseas players were bought by the companies, the system became irrelevant and the current competition took its place.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
All of the professional sports teams in Japan are owned by companies. Company sports teams were an initiative by the Japanese government during the post-war recovery period to strenghten workes' ties to their company back in the days when everyone had a job for life. The system is still in place which is why most companies sponsor amateur sports (including rugby) even if they don't want to pour money into a pro team. The companies themselves make no money from rugby, which is why they usually fold their professional sides after being relegated from the top flight, though this year Yamaha decided to cease being a professional side despite remaining in the Top League next season. Japanese rugby has only been pro (or semi-pro more accurately) for less than a decade, though there was certainly money changing hands prior to that. Nevertheless, these are clubs with long histories that date back far into the amateur era. I'd certainly call them "real clubs."
JF
Guest
There are different ways in which a national sporting competition can manifest itself - club, provincial, franchise, institution (university) or corporation. It is whatever fits best for the particular nation and sport, for Japanese Rugby it happens to be a corporate structure. This does not make it any less of a competition when compared to a club competition were the same players playing for club sides.
Travis
Guest
Rugby clubs that contract players --- you know, like on the rest of the planet. There are clubs in Japan outside of the corporate teams, but they are amateur. The only teams that contract players in Japan are the corporate work teams. It's like Pepsi & Coke signing up rugby players and then fighting it out for the rugby championship of America. "Yay! Go Toshiba!" As if...
Dave
Guest
There is a Professional, Club, University and High School competition in Japan.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
What is real club rugby?
ohtani's jacket
Guest
They gave this article a weird title. I wanted to make special note of Kefu's retirement but they deleted that part.
Travis
Guest
It's hardly corporate support. They are work teams playing against other work teams. There is no real club rugby in Japan.
Rockin Rod
Guest
Mark Gerrard was inspirational in getting his team NTT to Top League next season for their first time in history. They are also joined by Craig Wing for next season. Rumour has it Melbourne have already contacted Gerrard for 2011
Gooda
Guest
It is great to see the corporate support behing rugby though isnt it.
Travis
Guest
Damn this is disappointing. When I saw the headline I thought it was about a RU match between a television set and a bottle of flavoured tea.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
OJ, thanks for the update. its always good to hear how things are going and how players are playing in other regions, particularly as the rebels look to recruit.