Bok Kriel poised for return from injury for play-off push in Japan

South Africa centre Jesse Kriel is set to make a timely return to action on Saturday as his Yokohama Canon Eagles take on the Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars is Japan Rugby League One.

The double World Cup winner has been out of action since January after undergoing an operation on his thumb, but will return for the final three matches of the regular season. He will start on the bench at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground.

The Canon Eagles currently sit in fourth place in the league, which is sufficient to reach the semi-finals in May.

However, with a clash with the unbeaten league leaders the Saitama Wild Knights still to come for the Canon Eagles, it means positive results are all the more necessary in Saturday's encounter with the ninth-place Dynoboars and the sixth-place Toyota Verblitz the week after.

Fortunately for a team chasing a top-four berth, being able to add a 68-cap Springbok to the matchday squad is a handy addition.

Kriel vowed to recover as fast as possible after his operation, and he has now returned to have a major say in the outcome of his side's season.

This is also a boost for South Africa, with a series with Ireland looming in July. Kriel will be fully fit by the time the Springboks host the world number twos.

Canon Eagles XV

1. Changho Ahn

2. Shunta Nakamura

3. Ryosuke Iwaihara

4. Liakimatagi Moli

5. Matthew Philip

6. Kobus van Dyk

7. Naoto Shimada

8. Amanaki Leleimafi

9. Kouki Arai

10. Yu Tamura

11. Masayoshi Takezawa

12. Yusuke Kajimura (C)

13. Rohan Janse van Rensburg

14. Viliame Takayawa

15. Junpei Ogura

Replacements

16. Yusuke Niwai

17. Takato Okabe

18. Tatsuro Sugimoto

19. Mitchell Brown

20. Sione Halasili

21. Toshiki Amano

22. Jesse Kriel

23. Inoke Burua