The calm demeanour that Jean Kleyn put forward on Wednesday won't be there on Saturday night when Ireland vs Scotland kicks off. The game will have a major bearing on where Kleyn's South Africa side finish in pool B of the Rugby World Cup.
"Oh hell no. No. It’s all a facade. It’s my media face," said Kleyn.
"We’re probably going to see Ireland win, but just because the Irish beat us last week I’d say I’d like to see Scotland win over them (laughs).
"No, realistically speaking, we’ll probably see Ireland come out victorious there. They’re a very good team at the moment."
Kleyn is well placed to observe the growing tension between Irish and Scottish sides. He's been with Munster for the past seven years, facing Glasgow and Edinburgh in the URC, along with being part of the Ireland team prior to switching international allegiance back to his native South Africa.
19 March 2022; Jamison Gibson Park, supported by Jonathan Sexton, left, is tackled by Rory Darge and Darcy Graham during Ireland vs Scotland in the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
"There’s a high level of attrition," Kleyn said about the rivalry between Ireland and Scotland.
"There’s a little bit of animosity between the Irish and the Scots and there always has been, especially from a rugby perspective.
"At club level, you look at teams like Munster and Glasgow there’s always been this underlying - I wouldn’t call it hatred - but there’s a little bit of knife in the back.
"There’s a real combative thing about it. For Ireland and Scotland (tests), it’s even more so. It’s very much magnified at international level. Everything’s a little bit closer to the bone and everything’s a little bit more real. I think it’s going to be a serious match."
Kleyn said having his family with him in France has been a "joy".
23 September 2023; RG Snyman of South Africa, left, and Jean Kleyn make their way onto the pitch to warm-up before the 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Ireland at Stade de France in Paris, France. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
"A lot of other countries don’t have that opportunity," said Kleyn.
"When I was with Ireland in 2019 [at the Rugby World Cup] it was not something we were afforded to do. It’s been absolutely fantastic having our families with us. Any man is only as good as the people standing behind him.
"For me personally, to have my wife and son with me, it’s been an absolute joy. Although with an eight-month-old baby, you don’t sleep all the time but it’s still worth it.
"We’re four months into our block that we’ve been with the Springboks. It’s a very long time, I don’t think it would be manageable if we couldn’t have our families with us.
"It’s good that all the wives and girlfriends are so included, they get to see each other as well. You form deeper bonds through that."
Kleyn won five caps for Ireland before his switch back to South Africa prior to tournament.
12 October 2019; Ireland players, from left, James Ryan, Jean Kleyn, Josh van der Flier during the Ireland's Call prior to the 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool A match between Ireland and Samoa at the Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium in Fukuoka, Japan. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
"It was a great honour and a pleasure to play for Ireland in 2019," he said.
"I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was something I will always hold with me. Now being offered this opportunity which, honestly I never thought would come along, especially after representing Ireland in 2019 - besides that point I didn’t ever picture myself as being good enough for some reason. It’s been one of the greatest honours of my life to now represent the Springboks after having represented Ireland as well."
"I spoke to Paulie (Paul O’Connell) before my call-up to the Springboks and they said I had a good season and had I been involved earlier on they might have gone for me, but I think at that stage we’d all sort of made up our minds - they’d decided what they were going to do and I’d decided what I was going to do.
"When you have a good season everyone looks at you a little bit differently. I’m just fortunate that Rassie (Erasmus) and Jacques (Nienaber) looked at me in a way that got me here."
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