Damian de Allende’s Wild Knights Close in on Top Seed as Japan Rugby League One Enters Penultimate Round

Damian de Allende's Wild Knights look to clinch top spot while Jesse Kriel's form sparks a Yokohama surge in the penultimate round of Japan Rugby League One.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 30, 2026, 4:25 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Rugby365

Wild Knights Eyeing Postseason Advantage

The Saitama Wild Knights, anchored by Springbok center Damian de Allende, are positioned to secure a top-two finish and potentially clinch the regular-season title this weekend. A bonus-point victory against the last-placed Urayasu D-Rocks on Friday night would guarantee them a home semifinal path. If second-placed Kobe Steelers stumble against Mie Heat, the Wild Knights will secure the top seed with a week to spare. Finishing first carries significant strategic weight in the Japanese top flight, granting a bye during the first weekend of the elimination series and a theoretically easier semifinal draw against the lowest-ranked advancing team.

Jesse Kriel's Golden Run for Yokohama

While much of the media attention in Kanagawa has historically followed the departing Faf de Klerk, Jesse Kriel has emerged as the defining figure in the Yokohama Eagles' late-season surge. Coming off a Player-of-the-Match performance where he dismantled the Brave Lupus defense in a 50-26 victory, Kriel has led the Eagles into the role of postseason spoilers. They face the Mitsubishi Dynaboars this weekend in the season's second Kanagawa derby. While the Dynaboars won the December encounter, they have lost four consecutive matches, leaving the Eagles as heavy favorites to continue their climb up the standings.

Traditional Powers Under Maximum Pressure

The battle for the final playoff berths has created an uncharacteristic crisis for some of Japan's most successful franchises. Tokyo Sungoliath, five-time champions, are in the midst of a five-match losing streak that has made their postseason qualification uncertain. They face a resurgent Toyota Verblitz side that has won six of its last eight games. Simultaneously, Todd Blackadder’s Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo faces a must-win scenario against Shizuoka BlueRevs. After losing seven straight earlier in the season, Brave Lupus recovered briefly before being "made to look second-rate" by the Eagles last weekend. A loss on Saturday would likely end their pursuit of a title hat-trick.