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Bok lock Jean Kleyn set to exit Munster - reports
By Ian Cameron
Springboks second row Jean Kleyn is reportedly likely to leave Munster – according to French media outlet Midi Olympique.
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Lyon are looking for a replacement for French international Romain Taofifenua, who is leaving for Racing 92 next season, and Kleyn is top of their shopping list.
The former DHL Stormers and Western Province lock moved to Ireland in 2016 and qualified for selection by residency in 2019. He was picked for his adopted country’s Rugby World Cup squad that year and made five appearances but was not been selected subsequently under Ireland head coach Andy Farrell.
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Having been repeatedly overlooked by Farrell, the 30-year-old was in June cleared by World Rugby to switch allegiance back to the Springboks before being included in Jacques Nienaber’s squad for France and featured off the bench in the Rugby World Cup final.
The regulation – which came into force at the start of 2022 – allows for players to be selected for their country of birth (or of their parents’ or grandparents’ birth) once a period of at least 36 months has elapsed since last selection for an adopted country.
With Kleyn changing his Test allegiances, the IRFU and Munster will be significantly less keen to fight to keep him.
Kleyn feared his switch back to South Africa may be met with a backlash, but the response in his adopted nation has been overwhelmingly positive.
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“I’ve been absolutely inundated with messages from Munster supporters – obviously only after Ireland fell out,” said Kleyn. “Then they really came after us and said, ‘listen, you’re our second team now, guys’.
“The support was really heartfelt from a lot of Munster fans and it made it a lot easier for me because I thought it would be quite a negative reaction when I declared for the Springboks.
“From my history with Irish media, I figured there would be a few negative articles but it was resoundingly positive, so I was really happy about that.”
The 2.03m second rower has made more than 130 appearances for Munster and was a part of their Vodacom United Rugby Championship-winning team in Cape Town last month.
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additional reporting PA
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The heritage rule makes sense, it’s great that ex ABs can return to play for Tonga/Samoa/Fiji etc. However, the residency exception is ridiculous. To have Duhan, WP and Pierre run out for Scotland is somewhat farcical. Likewise for Lowe and Aki (and there is also much to be said for tenuous heritage claims made by JGP). Hopefully the residency rule is scrapped and limited to post residency citizenship and no former representation of a different Union.