O'Connell: Kleyn 'very close' to inclusion in Ireland's preliminary World Cup squad

SWAPPED ALLEGIANCES: Jean Kleyn of Ireland during the Guinness Summer Series in 2019. Pic: Donall Farmer/PA Wire.

Munster’s Jean Kleyn will make a second start for his native South Africa when they face Argentina in Buenos Aires in what is the first of three World Cup warm-up games.

The imposing lock made his Springbok debut against Australia in Pretoria earlier this summer despite having turned out five times for Ireland under Joe Schmidt, but it turns out he was in Andy Farrell’s thoughts too.

Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell has explained that Kleyn was considered for their own preliminary squad before they eventually chose the sextet of James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Joe McCarthy and Kieran Treadwell.

“He was very close,” said O’Connell. “He’s very experienced now, experienced different coaching staffs with Munster. He was part of a really successful Munster team this year and he does what he does really well. He’s an excellent mauler, excellent maul-defender.

“His ball-handling and his defence has improved massively now in the last few years. He looked very comfortable playing for Munster. The forwards were asked a little bit more of them this year and he was very comfortable.

“It was close, it was tight. Some of the guys we had in the squad already, we felt we’d invested a good bit in them, they were a little bit younger, they were quite big men as well in their own right. He went away and he’s entitled to go for what he went for and I wish him all the best.” 

Beirne, his clubmate at Munster, felt it was only natural that Kleyn would jump at the chance to represent his native country when the chance arose but the goodwill towards him will not extend to the teams' encounter in the World Cup.

“If he is playing in that game hopefully he'll be on the losing end,” said Beirne.