By Rich Freeman, KYODO NEWS - Sep 1, 2017 - 22:32 | Sports, All

Panasonic Wild Knights continued their perfect start to the new Japan Rugby Top League season Friday as they hammered Toshiba Brave Lupus 47-10.

The victory at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground sees Robbie Deans' side top the White Conference with three bonus-point wins from as many games.

"I am very proud of the effort. That was one of the better days at the office," Deans said.

And while many spectators would have noted the seven tries scored by the Wild Knights, it was the defensive effort that was just as important as they look to break Suntory Sungoliath's hold on the trophy.

"They (Toshiba) stressed us a lot in the first half and had a number of line breaks," Deans said. "But we showed some great desperation and good work rate. So for them to score just one try was significant and important."

A strong, swirling wind made life difficult for both teams at Chichibunomiya, and it was Toshiba who mastered the elements best in the opening stages.

Takahiro Ogawa kicked a penalty in the 12th minute and then had a hand in and added the extras to Kai Ishii's try five minutes later.

But the longer the half went on, the longer the Wild Knights held onto the ball, and some deft and soft hands from Sam Wykes and Berrick Barnes put Rikiya Matsuda away in the 24th minute.

Eleven minutes later, Daniel Heenan rumbled over the chalk after the Wild Knights had once kept the ball alive for more than a dozen phases. And with Barnes adding the conversion and then kicking a penalty three minutes later, Panasonic led 15-10 at the break.

"We made some mistakes in set play and couldn't get any rhythm going," Toshiba hooker Hiroki Yuhara said.

Unable to eradicate the errors and impose any form of authority on the game, Toshiba went further behind just two minutes after the restart when Asaeli Ai Valu dived over following a good run by Ben Gunter.

Yasutaka Sasakura got himself onto the scoresheet four minutes later when he weaved his way to the line following some superb work from the Panasonic forwards and backs as the dam gates broke.

Akihito Yamada picked up an interception try and there were further five-pointers for Matsuda and Takuya Yamasawa, who also kicked a penalty, with Barnes ending the day with two conversions to his name and Matsuda one.

"It helps having great finishers on the end, but the boys are responding to what is in front of them and have the confidence to move the ball," said Deans.

This season the league has been split into two conferences -- Red and White -- based on how the teams finished last time out.

Teams play the seven other sides in their conference plus six from the other group to determine the rankings for the end of season playoffs, with the top four sides competing for the league title, which doubles as the All-Japan Championship.