Uenobou nets another hat‑trick
- Kobe Steelers centre Uenobou Shunsuke scored his second hat‑trick of the season via an early‑entry impact. - The effort came in Round 15 and coincided with Opta‑style Player‑of‑the‑Week mentions for top performers. - The performance boosts Kobe's attacking credentials as League One moves into decisive spring fixtures. ( )
Shunsuke Uenobo scored three tries again for Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Round 15, driving a 38-24 win over Toyota Verblitz on April 18. (league-one.jp) Japan Rugby League One’s official review said Uenobo crossed in the second minute and completed his hat-trick nine minutes into the second half. The 22-year-old has now scored nine tries in nine appearances this season. (league-one.jp) League One lists Uenobo as a 183-centimeter, 88-kilogram back born on Sept. 29, 2003, with six caps shown on his player page. That page also records a three-try haul against Shizuoka BlueRevs on Feb. 7 and another try against Urayasu D-Rocks on Feb. 28. (league-one.jp) The latest hat-trick came as Kobe collected the maximum from a road win in Aichi and stayed near the top of Division One. After 15 matches, Kobe sat second on 62 points, one behind Saitama Wild Knights and three ahead of Kubota Spears. (league-one.jp) That position matters with only three regular-season rounds left before the playoffs begin on May 23-24. League One’s schedule shows Kobe hosting Tokyo Sungoliath on April 25 in Round 16. (league-one.jp) Round 15 also tightened the race around Kobe. The official review said Kubota beat Tokyo Sungoliath 27-22 but missed a bonus point, leaving the Spears unable to overtake Kobe on the ladder. (league-one.jp) Toyota arrived in Round 15 chasing a sixth win in seven matches, according to the same review, but Uenobo’s early score changed the game’s shape. Kobe winger Inoke Burua then added two late tries to finish the 14-point win. (league-one.jp) For Kobe, the immediate question is whether Uenobo’s scoring run can hold through the last stretch. He has scored in each of his last three games, and Kobe’s next fixture comes seven days after the Verblitz win. (league-one.jp, league-one.jp)
