A hat trick of tries from Takaaki Nakazuru and another near-faultless display from Kosei Ono helped Suntory Sungoliath move ever closer to their fourth Top League title Saturday as they hammered Toshiba Brave Lupus 48-0.

The victory at Ajinomoto Stadium not only gives Suntory bragging rights in the Tokyo suburb of Fuchu, but leaves it eight points ahead of Yamaha Jubilo, who play Kintetsu Liners on Sunday.

The league reaches its climax next weekend — with Suntory taking on the Kobe Kobelco Steelers and Yamaha playing the Toyota Verblitz — and it would be something of an upset if Suntory was not to finish the season unbeaten champions given its form of late.

Particularly as coach Keisuke Sawaki thinks his team can get even better.

"There was a feeling of dissatisfaction in the locker room after the game," he said. "The line-out and breakdown was not at the level we wanted. We are still very hungry for next week's game."

Nakazuru and Ono may have dominated the scoring, with the latter kicking five conversions and a penalty goal in addition to controlling the game well at flyhalf, but the role of a couple of veterans in the side was just as important.

Stephen Donald, who kicked the All Blacks to victory in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final, was a constant thorn in the Toshiba defense, while Wallaby legend George Smith was unlucky to leave the stadium empty-handed having twice been denied a try by the TMO.

Elsewhere, a hat trick of five-pointers from Kenki Fukuoka and David Pocock's first try in Japan helped the Panasonic Wild Knights top Verblitz 36-14 to all but lock in third place and a spot in the season-ending All-Japan Championship.

Meanwhile, the Coca-Cola Red Sparks beat the Toyota Industries Shuttles 33-12 in a game between two teams that will need to beat sides from the regional leagues in the promotion/relegation playoffs in order to keep their place in the top flight.

In a game heavily influenced by the TMO — Toshiba's Richard Kahui and Michael Leitch were both sent to the sin bin on his recommendation — there was only ever going to be one winner once Suntory put aside a slow start that saw the first scrum take three minutes to complete.

Right wing Nakazuru grabbed his first try in the eighth minute following a good turnover from Shinya Makabe and his second came 17 minutes later after a scything break from Donald.

Left wing Shota Emi grabbed Suntory's third try following some flowing 15-man rugby and with Ono kicking three conversions and a penalty it was 24-0 at the break.

"We thought it would be a dangerous game and knew the mentality of a derby game," said Smith. "But we scored those three tries and then discouraged them from getting any momentum."

Nakazuru, who to date has been ignored by both the Sunwolves and Japan, made it a league leading 17 tries for the season when he completed his hat trick in the 47th minute, the wing put into the clear thanks to a clever offload from Derek Carpenter.

Further tries from Kenta Tsukamoto, Shunta Nakamura and Kotaro Matsushima — the latter courtesy of an outrageously long pass from Smith — followed with Ono missing just two shots at goal in the closing stages while he was feeling the effects of a knock to the leg.

"We probably left some points put there but if you had told me at 9 o'clock we would win 48-0 I would have bitten your arm off," said Donald, who joined the club mid-season to replace Christian Lealiifano, who was diagnosed with leukemia in August.

"But it was pretty sombe rin the dressing room afterwards. We know the job is not done yet."