Springbok lock Jean Kleyn won’t be part of the squad heading to Johannesburg for the opening match of the Incoming Series after picking up an injury in Saturday’s dominant 54-7 win over the Barbarians.
Kleyn, who partnered with Lood de Jager in the second row, will now head back to his club, Munster in Ireland, where he’ll start his recovery and rehab process.
The Springboks travelled from Cape Town to Johannesburg on Sunday as they gear up to face Italy at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, 5 July. They’ll meet Italy again the following week in Gqeberha at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, before wrapping up the series with a clash against Georgia in Nelspruit on 19 July.
Coach Rassie Erasmus expressed his sympathy for Kleyn, saying, “We feel for Jean, but injuries are part of the sport. Luckily, we have solid depth at lock, so there’s no need to call in a replacement right now.”
The players used Sunday to rest and travel after the Barbarians match and will kick off their on-field training for the first official Test of the season on Monday.
