WHEN RASSIE ERASMUS first got in touch with Jean Kleyn out of the blue to ask him if he wanted to come and play for the Springboks, there was one catch.
“I’m about to screw up your holiday,” Erasmus told the Munster lock.
Kleyn had been all set to enjoy some time off in the summer following Munster’s URC success and having been overlooked for Ireland’s wider World Cup training squad.
But when Erasmus offered him the chance to switch allegiance back to his native South Africa, a break was off the cards. Kleyn was straight into camp with the Springboks as they began preparing for the Rugby Championship, which led into the World Cup.
On Saturday night, with his World Cup winner’s medal around his neck, Kleyn laughed about that first call from Erasmus.
“He definitely screwed up my holiday but he gave me an opportunity I never thought I’d have,” said Kleyn.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Rassie and Jacques [Nienaber], the entire coaching team for believing in me and giving me this opportunity, and all my teammates. It’s been such a privilege and a pleasure being part of this amazing dream.”
While Kleyn’s gratitude is strong, it should be said that he grabbed his opportunity with both hands.
He wouldn’t be a World Cup winner had he not settled into life with the Boks so quickly, leading to his involvement off the bench in the final win over New Zealand at Stade de France on Saturday.
“It was as easy as anything, it was riding a bike,” said Kleyn of coming into the camp so soon before the World Cup. “It was coming home.
“I’d known a lot of the lads for years, I’d played with a lot of them at the Stormers and played against them as well.
“It was really very easy for me, the guys made it incredibly easy. They were very accepting. It was all positive from the start. All credit to the team, I couldn’t have been there without them.”
It was also important that Kleyn had support from Munster, who have been proud to see him achieving on the global stage after becoming such a key man for the province in recent years.
The door never reopened with Ireland after Kleyn won five caps in the green jersey in 2019, but he has seized his chance with the Springboks.
While Kleyn has been struck by the sheer scale of the support from the nation of South Africa, he has also benefitted from lots of encouragement from those in Ireland.
“I haven’t checked my phone, but to be honest it was very tough keeping track of everything before I started,” he said on Saturday.
“Listen, the support from home as I call it – Limerick is my home now – is incredible and I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the support I’ve received, it’s been unreal.”
He has no doubt that the coaching of Graham Rowntree, Mike Prendergast, Denis Leamy, and co. has been crucial to making him a better player and therefore helping him to convince Erasmus that he could be a Springbok.
“All credit to them,” said Kleyn. “The way they coach, the system they’ve implemented. It showed in the URC final, in the way we turned our season around at the death, after seven games and we brought it back and ended up winning.
“You don’t see that often, it shows that everything they’re doing is working. There’s massive buy-in, massive belief at Munster as well. It’s endemic to Munster now, it’s part of our culture, our belief. We’re there to win trophies.”
Kleyn is looking forward to getting back to life with Munster once the celebrations die down, but he will throw himself into that side of things as the Springboks prepare for a four-day trophy tour in South Africa after flying out from France today.
This is an endpoint for this version of the Springboks as the likes of Nienaber and Felix Jones move on, as well as some of the veteran players, but Kleyn will hope to have many more memorable experiences in South African colours.
“There will always be changes, the wheel turns and some of the older players fall out and the younger players come in,” said Kleyn.
“We saw what the younger players have, we’ve got Canan Moodie who is 20-years-old and a phenom.
“There’s probably one guy in every position in South Africa waiting to fill a role. The future is bright for South African rugby.”
Very simple one there. Cluxton should be considered for player of the year.
Dublin may not have won sam without his distribution from kickouts. First clasd
he is being considered for player of the year
To even suggest hennelly shouldn’t get it would be just stupid
you are entitled to your opinion, but he still most likely won’t get it
Must be a lot of mayo people voting here
This is quite simple. Football goalkeeper is Cluxton. He was vital to Dublin winning the All Ireland. And the hurling goalkeeper has to be Nash he was outstanding for Cork.
until Cluxton can prove himself at the basics of goalkeeping then he cannot be considered the best. under high ball, one on one with forwards, basically everything a goalkeeper must deal with aside from kickouts he has yet to pass any tests. Hennelly came in from the cold in June and put in some top class displays including being the best player on the pitch for the All-Ireland final while Beggan was also much harder to beat than Cluxton when it came to taking him on for a goal
he is well proven with the basics, hence his previous four all-stars, hennelly conceded against Brogan because Brogan beat him to the high ball
And in the final in which he was the best player? I wonder why Bernard Brogan got the man of the match, maybe the two goals he scored against Hennelly?
Frainc dunno what match you were watching but Brogan beat Cafferkey to the high ball.
First goal: The same game, Flynn kicked it long Brogan leaps for the ball, outjumps defender, Hennelly decides to leave his line and also jumps for the ball, Brogans timing was right so the ball could go into an open net because the keeper was committed to the tackle. In a similar way, Cluxton over committed and was off his line which made the Mayo goal easier to place in the net. Second goal: Hennelly doesnt seem to expect Brogan to go for goal, Hennelly takes a step or two forward and was left stranded, Brogan easily scores.
That’s rubbish talk
Funniest thing I’ve ever seen written.hilarious comedy stuff .
Cluxton conceded 5 goals, did he not? Needs to work on his goalkeeping.
and made up for everything he conceded in points, at the end of the day, his contribution won games and lead to victory, a change from the traditional goalkeeping role but a valueable one nonetheless
This is a real no-brainer. If Stephen Cluxton doesn’t get this, it’ll be a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham. .
Is it the Mayo for Sam brigade making all the dislikes? Cluxton is guaranteed an allstar as he is a standout in 2013 and justifiably has been nominated for Player of the Year too.
Hennelly is a top goalkeeper and will win many allstars in the future, can’t see him doing it this year. Hennelly got through Connacht without conceding, but its all against inferior opposition. The real killer match for Cluxton was the semi but to be fair, there is little he could have done with all three, it was a system that exposed the backline and he and the backs were in the firing line consistently. When it really counted in the final, Cluxton conceded one and Hennelly conceded two and ultimately, thats the game changer.
Season total: Hennelly conceded three, Cluxton 5. Interestingly all goals from both sides were conceded against Division One sides. For the sake of argument, couldn’t you argue that every three points that Cluxton conceded was made up for in points on the board? 14points for Cluxton undoes almost all five. Just sayin!
Nonsense… No other word captures your rant
What is nonsense? when i said Hennelly is a top goalkeeper?
Or saying that not conceding in Connacht is not a big deal?
Is it nonsense to suggest that Cluxton wasnt in the firing line more often due to the system of play?
Or nonsense that I said Hennelly conceded more than Cluxton in the final?
Or maybe saying Cluxton compensated for every goal by kicking points?
Any counter arguments, simply saying nonsense proves nothing. Or will we stick with the five year old sentiments and say vote Hennelly because he’s deadly, everyone else is rubbish.
Cluxton is an all ireland champion, he will deservingly win. End of story.
Who would you want in your nets? Has to be cluxton he has revolutionized the position. Destroyed the o shea brothers with the kick outs, kicks phenomenal points with ease, and is a model leader. Pity about the speech making…
Cluxton should just be given the all star every year at this stage best keeper in the country by a mile !
Stephen Cluxton
Cluxton is on a different planet.a blind man can see that.