MUNSTER LOCK AND former Ireland international Jean Kleyn will start on his debut for his native South Africa against Australia this weekend.
Kleyn has been named in the second row by Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber for the Springboks’ Rugby Championship opener in Pretoria on Saturday [KO 4.05pm Irish time, Sky Sports].
Meanwhile, his Munster team-mate and fellow lock RG Snyman has been named on the bench and is set for his first Boks appearance since the 2019 World Cup, having come through an injury nightmare since.
29-year-old Kleyn previously won five caps for Ireland in 2019, having qualified on residency grounds, and was part of the World Cup squad that year under Joe Schmidt.
However, Kleyn has switched his international allegiance to South Africa thanks to a relatively new World Rugby rule that allows players to do so once they have served a standdown period of three years and were originally eligible for the nation they switch to.
South Africa Rugby director of rugby Erasmus recently revealed that they had voted against this change in the eligibility regulations but they now stand to benefit from it.
The Springboks’ decision to call Kleyn into their squad came on the back of his superb season for Munster, who won the URC. Ireland boss Andy Farrell opted against including Kleyn in his wider World Cup squad and the Boks made their move.
Of course, Ireland will meet South Africa in the pool stages of the World Cup this September.
Kleyn is now set to make his South Africa debut against Eddie Jones’ Australia, meaning he will no longer be eligible for Ireland. He still has another season on his Munster contract and it remains to be seen if this change affects his hopes of playing on in Ireland beyond next summer. Snyman’s Munster deal also expires in 2024.
Kleyn starts in a Springboks team that is captained by former Ulster number eight Duane Vermeulen and sees out-half Manie Libbok and back row Marco van Staden make their first Test starts.
The Boks will be without 14 other players, with Erasmus and Nienaber opting to send a group including some of their leading stars on to New Zealand today in order to be better prepared for their second-round clash with the All Blacks on 15 July.
Siya Kolisi, Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert, Jean-Luc du Preez, Kwagga Smith, Faf de Klerk, Cheslin Kolbe, Makazole Mapimpi, Damian de Allende, and Jesse Kriel make up that group, while Jasper Wiese will join them in New Zealand later this week following the birth of his child.
South Africa (v Australia):
- 15. Willie le Roux
- 14. Canan Moodie
- 13. Lukhanyo Am
- 12. Andre Esterhuizen
- 11. Kurt-Lee Arendse
- 10. Manie Libbok
- 9. Cobus Reinach
- 1. Ox Nche
- 2. Bongi Mbonambi
- 3. Frans Malherbe
- 4. Jean Kleyn
- 5. Marvin Orie
- 6. Marco van Staden
- 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit
- 8. Duane Vermeulen (captain)
Replacements:
- 16. Joseph Dweba
- 17. Thomas du Toit
- 18. Vincent Koch
- 19. RG Snyman
- 20. Evan Roos
- 21. Deon Fourie
- 22. Grant Williams
- 23. Damian Willemse
