Dave Rennie's Kobe Steelers dominate Tokyo Sungoliath to reach final

Dave Rennie’s Kobe Kobelco Steelers were refreshed and ready for their semi-final date with Tokyo Sungoliath after two weeks off, and played at break-neck pace to earn a big win.

Cheslin Kolbe was at the forefront of keeping Sungoliath within reach for much of the first half, but the game got away from the Tokyo team in a hurry. The No.1 seed scored 11 tries, running the ball from all corners of the field and executing in all but three of their 22m zone entries.

The Steelers will learn who their final opponents are in Sunday’s second semi-final between the Saitama Wild Knights and Kubota Spears.

A Brodie Retallick tip pass put Gerard Cowley-Tuioti in space for the first break of the game, but Anton Lienert-Brown was guilty of some white-line fever and was held up in-goal. Sean McMahon provided the try-saving defence for Tokyo.

Just two minutes later, Kobe had a lineout on halfway and used Ardie Savea as a battering ram on the first phase carry, then Cowley-Tuioti gained more metres before the ball was put through the hands and Shunsuke Uenobou put the chip-kick ahead for Kazuma Ueda to chase and score.

Tokyo’s Tevita Tatafu won a breakdown penalty as soon as play resumed, handing Cheslin Kolbe a shot at three points, which the Springbok converted.

Kobe was penalised a handful of times between minutes 10 and 20, with Tatafu’s breakdown presence a factor before the big No.8 was forced to leave the field in the 17th minute. A high tackle gave Cheslin Kolbe another shot at the posts, and the winger was again on target.

Kotaro Matsushima was handed a yellow card for playing the halfback in the 19th minute, reducing Tokyo to 14 men. One minute later, Kobe had their second try through a clever offload from Inoke Burua to Uenobou in the corner.

Coming back the other way, an enormous 50/22 from Taiga Ozaki put Tokyo in position to score, and while the rolling maul was defused just shy of the line, George Hammond provided the finishing power to score.

An Ardie Savea breakdown steal gave Kobe their next attacking opportunity, and once again, Rennie’s men attacked with pace and chewed through metres with the ball in hand before scoring through Waisake Raratubua.

Kolbe’s boot claimed three more points when Tiennan Costley was penalised for jumping across the lineout and landing on the Tokyo forwards. The winger then came close to reeling in an attempted intercept but ended up handing Kobe a lineout five metres from the Tokyo line because of his knock-on. More rapid phase play ended with Savea driving over.

The opening half concluded with Kobe leading 24-16 after playing with 66 per cent possession.

Points Flow Chart

Kobelco Kobe Steelers win +46

Time in lead

68

Mins in lead

10

82%

% Of Game In Lead

12%

42%

Possession Last 10 min

58%

19

Points Last 10 min

7

Uenobou delivered a perfectly delayed pass to Ueda to put the winger through a half-gap for the first big play of the second half, and halfback Kamimura was in support to receive the final pass and score.

Lee was having a poor afternoon off the tee, leaving three of the five Kobe tries unconverted, but made up for that with a linebreak and try in the 46th minute, scoring under the posts to make his conversion comfortable.

Sam Cane entered the game and saved a try almost immediately for Tokyo, but could only do so by carrying the ball out in his own in-goal area. The pressure remained high, and Cowley-Tuioti scored from close-range to make it 43-16.

The game threatened to slow down in the final quarter with the result beyond doubt, but a 70-metre break was ignited by Bryn Gatland and only cut down by some heroic defence by Kolbe. Cane made the ensuing tackle on Retallick, but was handed a yellow card for being slow to get out of the back of the ruck.

Kobe took a quick-tap and made one carry before Savea snuck behind the ruck and darted through a gap to score his second of the day, basically untouched.

Burua got amongst the forwards when Kobe next found themselves on Tokyo’s line, and the winger had the power to get his side’s ninth try of the game.

Big Naohiro Kotaki won Kobe the ball back by overpowering the breakdown in the 75th minute, and the Kobe attack refused to relent, with the team running 65 metres in three phases with yet more superb offloading putting Solomone Funaki in space down the left edge.

Kienori Go stole the ball back for Sungoliath on the restart, and with nothing to lose, the ball was put through the hands before Shogo Nakano got over the line for his side’s second try.

Even with the clock in the red, Kobe wouldn’t stop attacking. Burua won the ball at the breakdown, and Savea put through a chip kick that was controlled by Kaleb Trask for Tokyo. Anton Lienert-Brown was in position to drive through the ruck, however, winning the ball back before Savea offloaded to Funaki for the final try of the game.

Final score: 69-23, Kobe.