Brilliant Beauden spears Kubota
BEAUDEN Barrett proved the match winner for the second week running as Suntory became the last unbeaten team in the red section of the Top League yesterday.
Seven days after booting an 81st minute penalty to end the unbeaten run of Toyota Verblitz, the All Black fly-half did it again to the Kubota Spears, popping up to score a 78th minute try which killed off a brave comeback by the 2019 finalists as Suntory prevailed 33-26.
Kubota appeared dead and buried after conceding 12 points during the absence of Bernard Foley for what appeared to be a dubious yellow card for a late challenge.
Without the former Wallaby fly-half, Suntory advanced from 11-7 to 23-7, and extended the advantage to 26-7 early in the second half, leaving the unbeaten Spears a mountain to climb.
They nearly achieved it thanks to their Tonganborn back rower Finau Tupa, who muscled over twice in the second period, to add to his try from the first half. This tied the game 26-26 with ten minutes to play.
As they had the previous week, when Toyota drew level with three minutes remaining, Suntory held their nerve, with their star man again delivering when it mattered. Signed on big bucks, Barrett has already shown his estimated million-dollar contract to be money well spent, with Suntory assured of top seeding from the conference for the elimination series even though one game remains to be played.
That will be against Greig Laidlaw’s NTT Communications Shining Arcs, who thumped Munakata Sanix Blues 40-21 despite the former Scottish captain not featuring.
Toyota bounced back from last week’s loss to beat the Mitsubishi Dynaboars 40-29, powered to victory by a try-scoring double from Wallaby captain Michael Hooper.
The final game saw Yamaha Jubilo gain an important 33-21 win over Johan Ackerman’s NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes, with Irish flanker Paddy Butler coming off the bench as Jubilo closed to within a point of the third-placed Red Hurricanes in the white conference.
Meanwhile, former England No.10 Freddie Burns got the better of his Wallaby counterpart Quade Cooper by guiding the Toyota Automatic Loom Shuttles to an impressive 36-17 win over the Kintetsu Liners in the final of the Top League challenger series.
Fresh from a 36-point haul in the semi-final, which included four tries, Burns scored two tries and 21 points as the Shuttles took the lead qualifying position into the Top League elimination series out of the challenger tournament.
Kintetsu, whose former Wallabies had a mixed day with Will Genia scoring a try while Cooper was sinbinned for a high tackle, still enter the Top League elimination draw along with the Coca-Cola Red Sparks and the Shimizu Blue Sharks from the second-tier series.