Yokohama Canon Eagles saw off Black Rams Tokyo 31-12 to move into fourth-place with fifth-placed fellow play-offs contenders Kobe Steelers playing on Sunday.
Keisuke Sawaki’s side dominated the game with a workmanlike display as South Africa's double World Cup winner Jesse Kriel joined in with the warm-up upon his return to Japan and is on the verge of gracing the starting line-up after recovering from a thumb injury.
Yokohama, who finished third last season after recovering from a play-off semi-final loss to the Wild Knights to beat Suntory in the third-fourth place game, are being chased down this term by Kiwi-laden Kobe Steelers for the fourth and final play-off spot.
While Dave Rennie’s Kobe host Suntory Sungoliath on Sunday, Yokohama produced an assured display to see off the Rams who remain 10th and above only division one newcomers Mie Honda Heat and winless Kintetsu Liners.
Yokohama hooker Shunta Nakamura opened the scoring with his fifth try of the season before flanker Naoto Shimada drove over in the 40th minute to put the visitors up 12-0 at half-time.
South Africa-born flanker Kobus van Dyk extended his team’s lead in the 49th minute before teammate and centre Yusuke Kajimura, who has two caps for the Brave Blossoms, put his side out of sight at 24-0 before the hour mark.
Replacement scrum-half Takanobu Minami was the source of the hosts’ first points after 62 minutes with an opportune finish before in-form winger and former judoka Viliame Takayawa powered over the line for his seventh try of the season.
Daito Bunka University graduate Takanobu, a former junior baseball player until elementary school, grabbed his second try of the game in an eye-catching cameo to complete the scoring at Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium.
The Black Rams host unbeaten Saitama Wild Knights next Friday at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium while Yokohama travel to Osaka to face Quade Cooper and Will Genia’s below-par Kintetsu Liners.
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