Kobe Steel ensured the 54th Company Rugby Championship final would be a Kanto-Kansai affair after demolishing local rival World 80-12 at Chichibunomiya Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday. The result means the Steelers will take on Kansai-rival Toyota, 27-19 winner over NEC, in one semifinal on Jan. 6, while the all-Kanto semifinal will see favorite Suntory take on Kubota.
Suntory advanced by beating Toshiba Fuchu 59-15, while Kubota reached the last four for the first time in its history after a thrilling 22-21 victory over Yamaha.
The Kobe derby affair was not exactly the send-off World coach Jake Howard was hoping for. The former Wallaby forwards coach had already decided to leave Japan and take up a short-term job with the Natal Sharks and must have been hoping for better things from his team, but as he admitted, "Kobe were the better team on the day, and thoroughly deserved their win.