Toshiba Brave Lupus survived a scare in the Top League as man-of-the-match Takahiro Ogawa kicked 16 points in a 26-24 win over Group A rivals Canon Eagles on Sunday.
Ogawa, coming off a 17-point game last weekend against Toyota Verblitz, had three first-half penalties as Brave Lupus, last season's runnersup, went into the break leading 9-3 at Kamoike Stadium.
Canon came back in the second half, when Adam Thompson crossed in the 52nd minute and Isaia Toeava scored another try three minutes later.
Ryohei Mitomo added the extras to make it 17-9 Eagles.
But the lead evaporated in a span of five minutes on an Ogawa penalty and a Toshiba try by Hiroki Yoshida that Ogawa converted. The scrum-half also converted when Shohei Toyoshima went over in the 71st minute to make it 26-17.
The Eagles scored on a last-gasp try by Tokiro Harada that was converted by Mitomo, but it was too little, too late.
Toshiba is third in the top-tier Group A with 10 points from two matches, trailing leaders Suntory Sungoliath by four and Panasonic Wild Knights by three.
Yamaha Jubilo are fourth on nine points, while the Eagles are fifth with six.
In Group B, Kade Poki ran in two tries and was named man of the match as Kubota Spears defeated Kyuden Voltex 25-14.
Kubota lead the lower tier with 12 points, two ahead of Coca-Cola West Red Sparks, who defeated NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes 18-17 behind a brace of first-half tries by Eliota Sapolu.