Springbok lock ruled out ahead of Italy clash

NEWS: Springbok lock Jean Kleyn has been ruled out of the squad travelling to Johannesburg for the opening match of the Incoming Series after sustaining an injury during the team’s 54-7 victory against the Barbarians on Saturday.

Kleyn, who started the match with lock partner Lood de Jager, will return to Irish club Munster to recover from the injury and undergo the necessary rehabilitation.

The Springboks made the journey from Cape Town to Johannesburg on Sunday to begin their preparations for the opening match of the Incoming Series against Italy at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, July 5.

They will line up against Italy again a week later at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Gqeberha before taking on Georgia at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit in the closing match of the series on Saturday, July 19.

“We feel for Jean,” said Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, “but injuries are part of the game, and we are fortunate to have good depth at lock within the squad, so there is no need for us to replace him at this stage.”

The team had Sunday off to travel and recover from Saturday’s encounter and will begin their on-field preparations for the first official Test match of the season on Monday.

Head coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed that the Springboks will get a major boost as they gear up for the official international season.

Speaking after the match, the coach revealed that there are no major concerns and gave an update on the return of Pieter-Steph du Toit.

The 32-year-old utility player, who plays for Japanese club Verblitz, was released by the Springboks two weeks ago due to a long-term shoulder injury.

“Pieter-Steph du Toit will be available for Italy 2 (July 12),” Erasmus said.

“Overall, no serious injuries. Jean-Luc du Preez has a little head knock.

“Siya Kolisi will be back next week [after missing the clash against the Barbarians due to a stiff neck].

He added that the selection for the opening phase of the season had been decided some time ago.

“The players have a fairly good idea who is going to play Italy one and two, and will be announced internally on Sunday.

“We know who is going to play in Italy one and two, and certainly by the end of the Georgia game, we’ll have a group of 45 to 50 that have had some game time.”

*Article continues below…

The Springboks dominated proceedings, scoring eight tries to one in a match played in rain that intermittently swept across the stadium.

Although it was a good outing, Erasmus revealed that they are not getting too carried away ahead of the series against Italy (two tests) and Georgia.

“We won’t get carried away with a game like this.

“We know it’s a festival game and we are playing at home against a team that only practised a few times together,” Erasmus said.

“But certain things came through.

“We want to get better in the next three matches and will be trying to focus a lot on ourselves.

“I know Georgia will also be a grind.”

Erasmus added that there are a couple of work-ons, especially on attack.

“If the weather were drier, I think some of the line-breaks and half-gaps that we got, we were a bit ambitious in trying to offload and just force the last pass. In dry weather, I think that could’ve stuck.

“But after halftime, when the guys spoke about that, they toned it down a little bit, and we played a little bit more conservatively and got more points.

“So, I guess we’ll get used to this weather if we get that again, but we can’t wait to play on a dry pitch and still improve on our attack.”

Two Rugby Championship fixtures each against Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina follow between August and October.

November Tests in France, Italy, Ireland, and Wales complete the schedule for the Springboks, who will defend the World Cup in Australia in 2027.

Additional source @SARugby