Steelers storm their way into Japan Rugby semi-finals
The Kobe Steelers, coached by former Wallabies mentor Dave Rennie, are through to the semi-finals in Japan Rugby League One after upsetting Aussie Sam Greene's in-form Shizuoka Blue Revs.
On a damp Saturday afternoon in Osaka, former Chiefs flyhalf Bryn Gatland starred for Kobe, creating two of his side's four tries in the 35-20 quarter-final victory.
This included the game's defining score in the 73rd minute when a perfectly placed cross-kick found winger Inoke Burua, who steamrolled over luckless Shizuoka fullback Futo Yamaguchi, who is 26kg lighter than the Kobe man, to push the Steelers ahead 29-20.
Two late penalty goals from the Kobe flyhalf completed the victory, allowing the New Zealander to finish the afternoon with 13 points.
Former Dolphins centre Valynce Te Whare had earlier scored the opening try for the Blue Revs off a cleverly worked midfield move, but the ex-NRL cult figure's eighth try of the season was followed nine minutes later by his concession of a penalty try.
The 24-year-old also received a yellow card from the high-tackle incident after mistiming an attempt to prevent Kobe winger Kazuma Ueda from scoring in the corner.
Kobe face defending champions Brave Lupus Tokyo in Saturday's opening semi-final.
Rennie is one of two ex-Australian coaches who will feature in the second round of the playoffs, with the Robbie Deans-coached Saitama Wild Knights to meet Bernard Foley's Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay on Sunday, after the latter beat Tokyo Sungoliath 20-15 in a nervous finish.
Former All Black skipper Sam Cane and Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe both scored tries for Sungoliath on Sunday, but they were unable to overcome a high error rate alongside the concession of a 14-9 penalty count.
The accuracy of Foley off the goalkicking tee also proved pivotal, with the Wallaby successful with all three of his attempts, while Kolbe missed three out of five for Sungoliath.
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