How Rassie turned emerald green into Green and Gold
INTERVIEW: Jean Kleyn is a unique story, with a variety of shades of green in his journey.
From his days at Hoërskool Linden, with its green and gold colours, to Ireland’s emerald green and now back to the Springboks’ Green and Gold there is a common thread.
When South Africa hosts Australia in the opening match of the Rugby Championship at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, his
odyssey will have come full circle.
Kleyn qualified through residency to play for Ireland and was a member of Joe Schmidt 2019 World Cup squad – making all five his Irish appearances in France.
Having last represented Ireland at the 2019 World Cup, Kleyn is now eligible for selection by his native South Africa in accordance with World Rugby’s amended eligibility rules.
He will make his Bok debut in Pretoria on Saturday.
(Watch Jacques Nienaber’s reaction to Jean Kleyn’s selection … article continues below)
He said running out for his ‘home country’, South Africa, is very different to making an international debut for an adopted country -0 Ireland.
“It was a great honour to play for Ireland as well,” Kleyn told a media briefing in the build-up to Saturday’s Loftus encounter.
“I did not grow up as a young boy watching Paul O’Connell and thinking I wanted to play in his jersey.
“I was watching Bakkies Botha run around smashing guys and thinking: ‘One day, one day’.
“You talk about childhood dreams come true, here I am.
“I didn’t think I’d get the opportunity, things change.”
The Johannesburg-born and schooled star – with 40-odd combined appearances for the Stormers and Western Province before his move to Ireland – spoke about the role SA’s Director of Rugby Johan Erasmus played in a journey that is in starking contrast to any other Test player.
“It [the journey to his Bok debut] was a bit of a round trip,” Kleyn said, adding: “Rassie was the one [person] who took me to Munster.
“[Now] seven years later Rassie gave me another phone call and here I am back again.
“It’s a massive journey [going to Ireland and I don’t regret any part of it.
“I built a family and a home and there is a good community out in Ireland.
“However, you can’t pass up an opportunity like this.
“It is a massive honour.”
The 29-year-old says playing for the Springboks was a forgotten dream until his phone rang a few months back.
He made it clear he was never going to initiate the move back to South Africa and was not expecting the call from Erasmus.
“I was as shocked as the rest of the world when Rassie rang me,” he said.
With his Munster teammate Rudolph Snyman on the bench, Kleyn could have a very special Bok debut – two Munstermen side-by-side.
“It is incredible to have RG [Snyman] here [in Pretoria],” he said.
“We are great friends and I’ve been learning a lot from him here to get me up to speed with the systems.
“If it works out that we can play together, it would be a special moment and a new memory.”
@rugby365com
