JEAN KLEYN ONLY qualified for Ireland two weeks ago but already he looks like being a notable part of Joe Schmidt’s World Cup plans.
The South African native made his debut as Ireland opened their warm-up campaign with a win over Italy, with Kleyn underlining his ability to do the nuts and bolts around the pitch but also leaving room for improvement.
Clearly, it wasn’t a first and final audition for the 25-year-old lock, with Schmidt selecting him to start alongside Iain Henderson in his second row for a second time against England at Twickenham on Saturday, with both Devin Toner and Tadhg Beirne on the bench.
“The thing is we gave him some things to work on from last time and we want to see if those can materialise on Saturday,” said Schmidt when asked if he likes what he has seen from Kleyn so far.
“Because he’s so new in, we felt that it was a priority to give him the time. It’s a fickle balance at the moment.
“Dev knows our game inside out so needed less of the time, Iain Henderson has just trained so well this week, we’re looking forward to seeing him out there and it also gives Tadhg Beirne the opportunity to be that cover-all back row, second row.
That getting more game time for Kleyn is a priority perhaps indicates how seriously Schmidt views the towering second row’s World Cup prospects, with his physicality attractive after a Six Nations campaign that saw Ireland outmuscled by England.
The feeling just a few weeks ago was that Kleyn was in competition for a second row spot with Munster team-mate Beirne, given how central James Ryan, Henderson and Toner have been to Schmidt’s squad in recent years.
But Beirne has been selected in Ireland’s number 20 shirt for the second time in a row, indicating that he may win another cap as a replacement back row. So far, Beirne has earned three Ireland caps in the second row and three as a sub blindside flanker, with the most recent of those seeing him make two eye-catching jackal turnovers against Italy.
A possible role as an impact sub for Ireland at the World Cup is certainly a possibility.
“I’m not saying he’s not good enough to start in either of those positions but he’s nice security, having him covering all five of those back five positions, albeit at 7 we’d probably need to mix and match somebody but he can cover 6, 8 or 5,” said the Ireland boss.
With England having named an impressive starting side and Ireland being close to full-strength, Saturday in London is shaping up to be quite the Test match.
While a strong performance and a win are obvious targets for Ireland, this game is still only part of a bigger picture. Even the fact that Schmidt’s men had a heavy training session on Monday – which wouldn’t happen during competition – indicates that they are as thinking about what lies ahead in Japan.
“Yeah, it’s a risk,” said Schmidt when asked if Ireland’s tough eight-day camp in Portugal could impact on energy levels against England. “But it’s a risk that we were always prepared to take because you’ve got to play the long game.
“There’s only one tournament this year that we have to go after and as much as Saturday is a Test match, and it’s a Test match against an old foe and they’ll be up for it, they’ve had two Test matches already, a lot of our players haven’t played yet, they may have a little bit of an advantage there… they freshened up this week and had a couple of days off at the start of the week because they’re probably a little bit ahead of us in their preparation.
“But your timing, you want to make sure that you periodise it right so that we’re on an upswing by the time we get to that 22 September game [against Scotland at the World Cup] and so a 24 August game comes a distant second.
“So for a little bit, if we’re carrying a little bit of fatigue in the legs, I’ll accept that. But I don’t think that we’ll accept it easily because we want to be a little bit competitive on Saturday but if this last eight days is good preparation for 22 September, then that’s what counts most.”
How sickening would it be for an Irish man like Beirne, Ruddock etc to miss out on World Cup selection to a bloke who became eligible to play for “Ireland” two weeks ago.
Don’t care if Kleyn meets the criteria, it’s still morally wrong. He’s not Irish whatever the cheerleaders say.
@Treaty Bhoy: u ok hun?
@Treaty Bhoy: the same lad who on another post says he can’t wait to see Vunipola light up the World Cup. He’s no more English than Kleyn is Irish but you seem to have no problem there. Your need to work in your morals buddy!!
@Treaty Bhoy: give it a rest, there’s hardly a country in the world who doesn’t use this rule
@Shane O Sullivan: have you heard Billy speak? He’s English.
Some kick in the face for those coaching kids in Ireland to see some South African swan in two weeks ago and get picked ahead of a player who has dreamed of wearing the green jersey since he can remember.
It is obscene but the sheep on here don’t care about that. Just want to brag on Instagram about “Ireland” at the world cup. They’d happily field 15 foreigners.
@Treaty Bhoy: Here’s an idea. If you don’t like who plays for the Irish team or how it’s picked then don’t support them. You are always bitching about someone or something. Bhoy is a term used for Celtic who are in fact a Scottish team. How do you feel about foreign guys playing for them?
@Treaty Bhoy: the Vunipolas are Australian born to Tongan parents. Listen up men, we’re going to abandon the new 5 year residency rule, the new criteria is to have to speak with the respective countries accent in order to play for that country. All countries are subject to the same rule, can we just get on with it please. Eire abu!
@Treaty Bhoy: Billy Vunipola and Mako Vunipola if they don’t play for Tonga should at least play for Wales , they’re both Pontypridd boys . They’re definitely not English . Your accent doesn’t define you . Ever heard Adam Clayton speak ? He’s Irish . Ever heard Kenneth Branagh speak ? He’s Irish too . Do you have the same high morals regarding football, I’d bet you don’t . Are you outraged when you hear those guys with Aussie accents playing for Scotland ? Or guys with Argentinian accents playing for Italy ? Nah of course not because it’s way over your head . Project players aren’t being favoured . There’s dozens of them eligible like Ludik , McCartney etc who have never even gotten a sniff and they’re still turning out for their province .
@Treaty Bhoy: ‘morals’… very last century.
@Treaty Bhoy: I find it ironic that you work for Bord Failte
Beirne has been the best second row in the Pro14 the last few years, countless MoM’s, and his teammate who’s a big solid all rounder gets picked ahead of him.
For all he’s done for Irish rugby, Schmidt has a habit of picking solid all rounder 7/10 players ahead of lads with game breaking ability.
And thats before any talk of residency.
@Eoin Comerford: and he has terrible taste in sunglasses
@Eoin Comerford: if you negate Beirnes turnover threat as top teams have he becomes a pretty average second row. Plus he’d be very light up against two monsters. There is not a hope in hell England would let him do damage at the breakdown like he’s allowed do in the Pro 14.
@Rocky Raccoon: if you negate David Pococks turnover threat he a pretty average backrow, same with Leavy. If my auntie had balls..etc
@Eoin Comerford:
Big difference between international and PRO 14 Rugby:: bid difference between PRO 14 and HC CUP :: as he moves up the less effective he Looks but he needs some game time to prove himself :: but a very good player to have on your squad !!
@PScald:
Leavy is a lot more than a turnover player and you know that because like us you have seen him play last year and boy was he more than a one point pony !!
Ruddock is from Wales
@Chris Mchugh: Ruddock was born in Dublin and has an Irish mother. His father is Welsh though and he did grow up in Wales
Andy Farrell still looks like he could do a job at 12 in that picture
@Daragh O’Brien: Farrell was a very average 12 in XVs rugby
@Limón Madrugada: and an even worse blindside
@Limón Madrugada:
A big man !!
@PScald: made Sam Burgess look like Dan Carter …
I can’t wait until the residency rule changes.
@JillyBean: It has changed
@JillyBean:
For a poster with that much interest in the residency rule you know very little !!!!