MUNSTER AND EX-Ireland lock Jean Kleyn has been included in South Africa’s final 33-man squad for the World Cup, where the Springboks will meet Andy Farrell’s side in Pool B.
South Africa native Kleyn won five caps for Ireland in 2019 and was part of their World Cup squad under Joe Schmidt that year, having qualified under the old three-year residency rule.
However, he hadn’t been selected since and missed out on Farrell’s wider Ireland training squad for the World Cup pre-season despite his strong form for Munster. The Springboks then pounced to call Kleyn up, with the second row having completed the required three-year stand-down period that left him eligible for his native land.
Kleyn debuted for South Africa in the Rugby Championship last month and he has now been included in their final World Cup squad.
His Munster team-mate RG Snyman is also in the Springboks’ selection, having returned to Test rugby after a nearly four-year hiatus due to injuries since the 2019 World Cup when he featured in all of the South Africans’ games as they won the tournament.
However, Sprinboks bosses Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber are without experienced lock Lood de Jager, who has missed out due to a chest problem, while first-choice out-half Handré Pollard and outside centre Lukhanyo Am have also been ruled out with injury.
The Springboks did add that Pollard, Am, and de Jager “have been placed on standby with six other players. The Springbok coaches were hopeful that they may return to full training before the start of the tournament and be available for call-up in the event of injury.”
Still, to lose three of the World Cup-winning starting XV is an obvious blow to the Springboks, who will now have to rely on either Manie Libbok or Damian Willemse at out-half, where they have selected only two players.
They have been able to include captain Siya Kolisi, who remains on the comeback trail from surgery but is set for his return before the World Cup kicks off.
Erasmus and Nienaber have included four scrum-halves in their squad, although Grant Williams can also play on the wing. They have opted for just five props, with Trevor Nyakane covering both sides of the front row.
Deon Fourie covers both hooker and the back row, while Franco Mostert can play as a lock or blindside flanker. The Boks have gone for a split of 19 forwards and 14 backs.
South Africa’s World Cup squad:
Loosehead props: Steven Kitshoff, Ox Nché
Tighthead props: Frans Malherbe, Vincent Koch, Trevor Nyakane [also plays loosehead]
Hookers: Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi
Second rows: Eben Etzebeth, Jean Kleyn, Marvin Orie, RG Snyman
Back rows: Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kwagga Smith, Duane Vermeulen, Jasper Wiese, Marco van Staden, Franco Mostert [also plays second row], Deon Fourie [also plays hooker]
Scrum-halves: Faf de Klerk, Jaden Hendrikse, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams [also plays wing]
Out-halves: Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse
Centres: Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Jesse Kriel
Back threes: Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie.
- This article was updated at 3.25pm to correct the split of forwards and backs, as well as to add information from SA Rugby in relation to Am, Pollard, and de Jager being included on the standby list.
