Former Ireland lock Jean Kleyn on how he feels about them now
Carrying the distinct honour of having donned the green of Ireland at the last Rugby World Cup, and now proudly wearing a slightly different shade of green with the World Champion Springboks, Jean Kleyn’s rugby journey has been anything but normal.
While his former team – who South Africa narrowly lost to – are preparing for a crunch match with rivals Scotland, Kleyn was candid.
“We’re probably going to see Ireland win, but just because the Irish beat us last week I’d say I’d like to see Scotland win over them (laughs).
“No, realistically speaking, we’ll probably see Ireland come out victorious there. They’re a very good team at the moment.
“There’s a high level of attrition. There’s a little bit of animosity between the Irish and the Scots and there always has been, especially from a rugby perspective.
“At club level, you look at teams like Munster and Glasgow there’s always been this underlying – I wouldn’t call it hatred – but there’s a little bit of knife in the back.
“There’s a real combative thing about it. For Ireland and Scotland (tests), it’s even more so. It’s very much magnified at international level. Everything’s a little bit closer to the bone and everything’s a little bit more real. I think it’s going to be a serious match.”
The Springboks are permitted to have their families present in France, a luxury not afforded to all teams.
“A lot of other countries don’t have that opportunity. When I was with Ireland in 2019 it was not something we were afforded to do. It’s been absolutely fantastic having our families with us. Any man is only as good as the people standing behind him.
“For me personally, to have my wife and son with me, it’s been an absolute joy. Although with an eight-month-old baby, you don’t sleep all the time but it’s still worth it.
“We’re four months into our block that we’ve been with the Springboks. It’s a very long time, I don’t think it would be manageable if we couldn’t have our families with us.
“It’s good that all the wives and girlfriends are so included, they get to see each other as well. You form deeper bonds through that.”
Reflecting on his rugby journey, Kleyn expressed his gratitude for having represented both Ireland and South Africa.
“It was a great honour and a pleasure to play for Ireland in 2019. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was something I will always hold with me. Now being offered this opportunity which, honestly I never thought would come along, especially after representing Ireland in 2019 – besides that point I didn’t ever picture myself as being good enough for some reason. It’s been one of the greatest honours of my life to now represent the Springboks after having represented Ireland as well.”
On the season with Munster helping him get into the South Africa team, and whether there was a chance to be called back into the Ireland camp before he committed to the Springboks:
“I spoke to Paulie (Paul O’Connell) before my call-up to the Springboks and they said I had a good season and had I been involved earlier on they might have gone for me, but I think at that stage we’d all sort of made up our minds – they’d decided what they were going to do and I’d decided what I was going to do.
“When you have a good season everyone looks at you a little bit differently. I’m just fortunate that Rassie (Erasmus) and Jacques (Nienaber) looked at me in a way that got me here.”
South Africa are blessed with second rowers, one of which was with Kleyn at Munster, RG Snyman. The giant 2019 World Cup winner overcame repeated ACL injuries and personal hardships to return to rugby at the highest level.
“He had repeated ACL (injuries) which is pretty much a death sentence to most rugby players. In that time he had some family loss, which was terrible, and the accident with the fire as well. He went through an incredibly tough time.
“He’s a good friend of mine. I can’t tell you just how impressed I was with his outlook on life. He was always positive, always tried to add – even though he was two years out of rugby. If you speak to anyone at Munster they will give you testament to the impact he has had at the club, and he’s only played 10 games or something, of which most of them were this season.
“He’s as head-strong a guy as I have ever met and probably likely will ever meet. Credit to him, he went though absolute war and came out on top.
“You could see at Munster the impact he had when he came into the team towards the end of the season. Without him we wouldn’t have seen the result we saw because he was instrumental in all the games leading up to and in the final.
“You can see that as well in being called up to the Springboks after virtually not playing rugby for three years. That takes some doing.”
On whether the 9pm kick-off means a lot of nervous energy in the day leading up to the game:
“It’s just a case of not switching on too early. You wake up, you’ll have your breakfast, go out for a cup of coffee or have a walk around – do something with your morning to break up the day.
“The last day we only started at two o’clock. Two o’clock start to a day, you’ve got a lot to time to burn before that.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of nervous energy, the guys deal with it each in their own way. Obviously it would be better to have a seven o’clock or a five o’clock so you can just get it over and done with, but I don’t mind it.”
South Africa will likely face either France or New Zealand in the quarter finals. Ireland vs Scotland this weekend will determine who goes through and in what position.
Comments on RugbyPass
Always reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
2 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
4 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
4 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to comments