A rugged workmanlike performance saw defending company and national champion Suntory secure the East Japan Company Championship following a 33-20 win over a determined NEC side at Tokyo's Chichibunomiya Stadium on Saturday.
It may not have been the open running game that the public wanted but Eddie Jones, coach of the world champion Wallabies and adviser to the Suntory team, was impressed by the physical nature of the game.
"Japan needs games like this," he said. "The teams that are doing well on the international level are those that are aggressive at the tackle situation, and both teams gave it their all today."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.