Jean Kleyn reveals how he got his black eye ahead of Springboks debut
Jean Kleyn sporting a black eye ahead of his Springboks debut.
Munster lock Jean Kleyn sported a nasty-looking black eye when he made his Test debut against the Wallabies in Round One of the Rugby Championship.
The ex-Ireland international won his first cap for his country of birth after becoming eligible for South Africa, having last played for Ireland in 2019.
Jean Kleyn’s black eye
The 29-year-old created a buzz on social media before his debut with his quotes about Bakkies Botha, while his black eye in his first team photo with the Springboks also caught the attention of fans.
Kleyn has since explained the story behind the injury he sustained while training with the Springboks.
“I wish there was a good story,” Kleyn joked when he appeared on ‘Boots & Alles’, an Afrikaans rugby podcast.
“I’m not the most agile guy in the world, and at one point, I shot out of the line to make a tackle.
“When I looked again, Pieter-Steph [du Toit] was standing in front of me, and I didn’t have enough time to stop.
“So I ran full force into his chin and cut myself open. There was a lot of cuts and blood. I’ve cut myself open on the field many times, but this one was one of the worst; it’s definitely one for the books.
“I don’t know how many guys have sat for their first Springbok team photo with a black eye and 18 stitches.”
Answering the Springboks’ call
Kleyn went on to have a starring debut for the Springboks as they secured a 43-12 victory.
During the episode, Kleyn also shared the story of receiving his call-up while celebrating Munster’s United Rugby Championship title success.
“We obviously had a good time after the final, and early the next morning I got a call from a guy,” Kleyn explained.
“At the time, I didn’t quite know what had happened and whether it was still the brandy that was talking.
“I later established that it was Rassie Erasmus who called me. I then came into the Bok group, and before I knew it was playing!”
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