Returning World Cup-winning Boks will have positive 'ripple-effect' on Munster

RETURNING REDS: South Africa’s RG Snyman and Jean Kleyn celebrate. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

RG Snyman and Jean Kleyn’s World Cup triumph with South Africa is set to give Munster a massive lift when the second-row duo return to the province, Mike Prendergast believes.

Munster’s start to their BKT URC title defence has started without the core of the first XV which lifted a first trophy in 12 years with a Grand Final victory over the Stormers in Cape Town last May. 

Eight Irishmen and two South Africans were on duty at the World Cup in France with veteran wing Keith Earls retiring at the end of the tournament following Ireland’s quarter-final exit. 

The rest of the Irish contingent will filter back into Graham Rowntree’s senior squad in the coming weeks with scrum-half Craig Casey the first to resume training this week ahead of this Saturday’s URC clash with the Dragons at Musgrave Park in Cork.

Snyman and Kleyn are currently embarking on a trophy tour around their home country following last Saturday’s nail-biting World Cup final win over New Zealand in Paris, when both locks were part of a seven-man “Bomb Squad” sprung from the Springboks’ bench to see out a 12-11 victory at Stade de France. 

When the pair do return to their day jobs, Munster’s attack coach believes their contributions to South Africa’s back-to-back success will have a positive knock-on effect on the Limerick-based squad.

“It will have a huge ripple effect, I’m sure,” Prendergast said yesterday. “Obviously, we’re disappointed from an Irish perspective, 100 per cent we are, after watching a great team that Ireland are and the small margin they came up short with… everyone was really, really deflated.

“But look, I suppose a bit of light at the end of the tunnel after that for us here in Munster was seeing the two boys going and winning a World Cup. They’ll come back and they’ll be jumping through their skin I’m sure.

“We’re looking forward to them coming back. We’ll obviously give them a break now for a while, I’m imagine around three or four weeks or so.” 

Prendergast reflected on the personal journeys made by each of the players, Snyman having overcome two serious knee injuries since his arrival in 2020 to regain his place in the Springbok squad and collect a second World Cup winner’s medal following the 2019 success. 

Kleyn, meanwhile, was an Ireland player at that tournament in Japan, when he won the fifth and final of his caps under Joe Schmidt before switching his allegiance back to the land of his birth under newly introduced World Rugby rules having been omitted from Irish squads selected by head coach Andy Farrell.

The attack coach has been contact with the pair since they helped lift the Webb Ellis Cup and he said: “They’re obviously through the moon. They’re massively delighted and I’m just really pleased for both of them.

“They’ve both good stories in terms of obviously RG was out for so, so long, to come back win a URC and a World Cup within a couple of months of each other. Being out for so long at times there I’m sure the pathway wasn’t as clear as he would have liked it and he’s had to fight to get to where he was and to have such a big impact on their team.

“And Jean Kleyn for obvious reasons, has a really good URC campaign with us, gets called into the South African team and plays in a World Cup final is something I’m sure that he wouldn’t have probably thought, what, three or four months back.

“So just delighted for them and especially the path the two boys have been over the last two years really, I suppose, when you look at RG and Jean’s probably more recent. Delighted for them and they ’ll come back I’m sure with two big smiles on their faces.” 

Prendergast also voiced his belief that Munster captain Peter O’Mahony can keep on contributing positively to the Ireland cause. 

O’Mahony earned his 101st Ireland cap in the quarter-final defeat to the All Blacks on October 14 and said in his post-match comments that he would consider his future at the end of his current IRFU contract, which runs out at the end of this season.

“I don’t know what his full intention is or what Andy (Farrell)’s intention is but if you’re asking me I think he does (have a part to play) and I think he’s still proved that during the World Cup.

“He’s a great man to have involved, I really saw it last year, I have to say. He’s just such a calm guy. I know they say it about great leaders, he speaks when he speaks. He’ll only speak when he feels he needs to. And he just brings this calming effect and obviously, what he does in terms of as a player around the set-piece etc he's massively important.

“And you look at Ireland and they’re after losing a few obviously with the likes of Johnny (Sexton) and Earlsy and stuff, so I think Pete has still rugby to offer the Irish team absolutely.” 

With the internationals not due back for another few weeks, Munster have shorter-term selection issues for the URC games ahead, not least concerning fly-half Joey Carbery, who sustained a wrist injury in last Sunday’s 13-13 draw at Benetton.

Carbery, who also started the opening-round victory over the Sharks, went for a scan on the injured wrist yesterday but while Prendergast is hopeful the Ireland international will pass fit for the weekend, he insisted there was confidence in the potential replacements, not least Academy playmaker Tony Butler.

“Yeah, look he’ll be a loss obviously if he’s out,” the attack coach said of Carbery. “He started the season really well. In terms of his leadership, he’s been excellent. Yeah, if he’s out, he’ll absolutely be a loss.

“Obviously, Jack Crowley is away at the moment as well. Tony Butler fortunately enough got a bit of time in our warm-up games and presented himself quite well. So look, it will be an opportunity for Tony.

“Rory Scannell’s there as well, who can play 10, playing 12 at the moment with us. And he’ll guide them through it I’m sure if he needs to be called up.” 

Of Carbery’s injury, Prendergast added: “I think it was just at the start of the second half as far as I remember. So he played on obviously. It was one of those ones it was more afterwards.

“He could feel it in the game but I remember talking to him that evening and he said to me that it was sore and obviously over the last couple of days it hasn’t been right so he’s going getting scanned. 

"Hopefully the best will come out of it, but we’ll be prepared if it doesn’t.”