Suntory Sungoliath showed why they are defending Japan Rugby Top League champions Sunday as they fought back to beat Toyota Verblitz 32-31 at Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium.
Trailing 31-13 with 20 minutes to go, Keisuke Sawaki's side drew on all their experience, and tries from Daishi Murata, Yutaka Nagare and Koji Iino gave them a one-point advantage with five minutes to play.
Lionel Cronje had a chance to win the game at the death for Toyota, but the South African flyhalf's penalty just fell just short, ensuring Suntory's winning streak would last another week.
Sawaki's side have not lost in the Top League since Dec. 26 2015. This win leaves them top of the Red Conference with 38 points, 10 more than Kobe Kobelco Steelers, with Verblitz third on 24.
Toshiba Brave Lupus are fourth with 19 points after their third straight victory, 32-18 over NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes.
Meanwhile in the White Conference, Ricoh Black Rams topped Kintetsu Liners 37-10 for their fifth win of the season to solidify third place with 25 points, 15 behind leaders Panasonic Wild Knights who have a perfect 40 points from eight games.
NEC Green Rockets are fourth on 17 points, eight back from Ricoh, thanks to a 28-27 win over Kubota Spears, while Canon Eagles' 24-22 defeat of Munakata Sanix Blues sees them fifth on 13 points.
This season the league has been split into two conferences.
Teams play the seven other sides in their conference plus six from the other group to determine the rankings for the end of season playoffs, with the top four sides competing for the league title, which doubles as the All-Japan Championship.
With the rain not letting up in Kyoto, the early proceedings were dominated by the boot.
Cronje put Verblitz ahead with a 40-meter penalty in the 13th minute before Ryoto Nakamura kicked the sides level nine minutes later.
A second penalty from Nakamura, in the 31st minute, following a collapsed scrum put Suntory ahead. But Toyota struck back with Seiyu Kohara diving over in the corner following some good work in the build-up from captain Kazuki Himeno.
Cronje added the extras from the touchline but then turned villain as he was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.
In his absence Suntory regained the ascendancy with Hendrik Tui powering over just before the break, Nakamura's conversion ensuring the teams turned around with Suntory leading 13-10.
With George Smith sent to the sin bin just before the first half closed, Cronje redeemed himself when he crossed 30 seconds after returning to the field in the third minute of the second stanza.
Eight minutes later, the South African timed his intercept to perfection and although he did not have the legs to go the whole 80 meters Steven Yates was in support and dived over for Toyota's third try.
Cronje added the extras to make it 24-13 and was then called into action again almost immediately as Himeno set up Koki Hirano straight from the restart.
But the South African's heroics eventually proved in vain as Suntory dominated the final stages with Kosei Ono's conversion of Iino's try eventually proving to be the difference between the two sides.
==Kyodo
