Kleyn and Springboks begin World Cup prep in shortened Rugby Championship

Questions and concerns for all four Southern Hemisphere sides as truncated tournament gets underway in Pretoria and Mendoza on Saturday

LOCKED IN: Munster second row Jean Kleyn gets moving at South Africa's Captain’s Run in Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria on Friday. Pic: INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Steve Haag

While Richie Murphy's stoic and scintillating Ireland U20 side will be catching many of the eyes in South Africa this weekend on U20 World Cup semi-final duty, the dawn of a truncated Rugby Championship has more than a little Irish interest too. 

In a World Cup year that would naturally be the case. But with the reigning-champion Springboks awaiting Andy Farrell's Ireland in Group B come the autumn and the addition of Munster's Irish international (but more recently Irish-overlooked) lock Jean Kleyn in South Africa's second row for Saturday's opener against Australia, there are layers of intrigue.