Kobe Kobelco Steelers captain Shohei Maekawa led by example Friday as he scored two tries -- one controversial and one with the aid of most of his teammates -- to ensure his team remain unbeaten in the Japan Rugby Top League.

The 29-year-old flanker, who trained with the Japan squad last weekend, touched down twice in the second half as the Steelers beat Toshiba Brave Lupus 32-25 at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground.

"This year he has been very consistent and as a captain leads by example," Kobe coach Jim McKay said of Maekawa, who missed all of last season through injury.

"We are trying to grow our leadership role and (Maekawa) is playing a leading role in that."

The victory was Kobe's fifth of the season and sees them jump above Suntory Sungoliath -- who take on Kubota Spears on Saturday -- to head the Red Conference. Toshiba, meanwhile, remain bottom of the group with just one win to their name.

And to add salt to the wound, Toshiba coach Tomohiro Segawa was not at all happy with the way the game was decided, saying he was reluctant to even attend the post-match press conference as he believed the officials had missed a clear forward pass in the build-up to Maekawa's first try.

"I asked the officials if they could stop the match to double check but was told 'No'," Segawa said. "I was told the only way we could query a decision was by letter. A similar thing happened in our last game and I have yet to get an answer."

Following a week's bye for all 16 teams and with the nation's capital in the midst of some torrential rain, the early proceedings were dominated by the boot, as both sides looked to play the territory game and force the opposition into a mistake.

Toshiba scored first with Michael Leitch crossing in the eighth minute following a blindside break by Takahiro Ogawa, before a Coenraad van Wyk penalty in the 15th minute stretched the lead to eight points as the Brave Lupus made the most of a disjointed start by the Steelers.

Kobe hit back, however, when Wallabies 116-cap veteran Adam Ashley-Cooper latched onto an inside pass and sprinted over from 35 meters out to score his first try in the Top League in the 21st minute.

Six minutes later, the Steelers pack laid the foundations for Ryuta Yasui to score as the Steelers went 10-8 up.

The half ended with van Wyk touching down somewhat against the run of play, and with the Toshiba flyhalf adding the extras to his five-pointer it was the Brave Lupus who went in to the changing sheds leading 15-10.

The second half began with two tries from unlikely sources as Toshiba tighthead prop Takuma Asahara crossed after leaping to pick up an intercept 30 meters out, before loosehead prop Hisateru Hirashima made the most of a charge down to answer back for Kobe.

With the officials then ruling in favor of the Steelers, much to Segawa's disgust, Maekawa pulled the sides level in the 57th minute, before Toshiba once again took the lead thanks to a 60th minute penalty by van Wyk.

But it was the Steelers who finished strongest, with man-of-the-match Maekawa touching down in the 67th minute following a 13-man maul, and Nick Ealey adding the conversion and a penalty to seal the win.

Round 5 action continues Saturday with five games across the nation and a further two on Sunday.

This season the league has been split into two conferences, Red and White.

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.