SA snatch Kleyn after voting against change of Regulation 8

NEWS: The Springboks almost lost the opportunity to make Jean Kleyn a Springbok because they voted against World Rugby's proposed change of Regulation 8.

The South African born Kleyn played five Tests for Ireland after qualifying on residency grounds in September 2019, which included participating in the 2019 World Cup.

Kleyn will join the Springbok squad as a 41st member, pending the outcome of an application filed by the South African Rugby Union regarding the former Stormers lock’s eligibility in terms of Regulation 8 and based on birthright. The decision is expected to be received soon.

Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus told a media briefing on Wednesday that they voted against the proposed change of Regulation 8, but when World Rugby went ahead with the plan, they jumped at the opportunity to lure Kleyn back.

“Our selection committee has been monitoring players for a long time. When Regulation 8 was changed, we had a chance to give input and we actually voted against that. And then World Rugby decided that you can change the national team that you play for.

“So immediately, when we saw that, we put a guy like Jean Kleyn on our radar and we started monitoring him as well. He was a player who was available,” Erasmus explained.

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Erasmus and his selection team looked at how South Africa could benefit from it.

“A guy like Jean, a monster of a guy, played with Rudolf 'RG' (Snyman), we coached him at Munster and he came right through the South African structures but he wasn’t available. And now he is available.

“He has won the United Rugby Championship, he knows most of the players here and as I say, we’ve always got all these locks but every time we’ve gone to finals, we lost Lood (Lodewyk de Jager) in the final of the previous World Cup in the 20th minute and Sous (Franco Mostert) immediately went on.

“Our locks are really physical in the way we play the game. We felt we never had enough guys that’s there. And with RG getting the role there at Munster also calling five in the line-out, calling the line-outs, which he didn’t do before when he was with us, he got that experience of playing four and five lock," the coach explained.

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“We felt that’s a great cover for him, Marvin (Orie), Franco (Mostert) and Lood. And now obviously they have the luxury of RG, Eben and Jean, who have been able to play front lock. That just really bolsters our squad,” Erasmus said.

Kleyn has not played for Ireland since the 2020 Six Nations and his latest omission from the squad named by head coach Andy Farrell seems to have left the door open for the Springboks to lure him back to the Republic.