Grave rumours that the eye injury that has sidelined Jean Kleyn since the World Cup was career-threatening have thankfully proved incorrect and ahead of his impending return, Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast has likened the Springboks lock to a new signing.
Indeed, having averaged almost 20 games per season in his first seven campaigns with Munster, the consequences of his World Cup call-up restricted the normally durable Kleyn to just one appearance for the province last season.
Along with Tom Ahern (ankle) and Paddy Patterson (knee), the 31-year-old is nearing a return to full training in the coming weeks, although the best-case scenario of being fit for Munster’s round-one URC game against Connacht next Saturday fortnight might be a stretch.
“As of now we’re not 100 per cent sure,” said Prendergast. “The goal would be hopefully the first game but nothing is guaranteed. They are motoring well at the moment.”
While aware of those worrying rumours, Prendergast maintained: “We were pretty confident that he was going to come back but it was just going to take time.
“It’s great to have him back. It’s kind of like a new signing as well. He’s going to come back incredibly fresh. You look back two years ago when we did manage to go on and win the league, he’s a massive part of what we do.
“I couldn’t speak highly enough of him as a player. He’s incredibly honest, his work-rate is non-stop, so to have a guy like Jean Kleyn to come back, and to come back really fresh and hungry, is exciting.
“He’s a World Cup winner. He’s going to bring a huge amount to the group and he’s not too far away.”
The trio’s imminent return is timely as Munster do not expect to have their seven-strong contingent on Ireland’s tour to South Africa available until their third- or fourth-round games at home to the Ospreys and against Leinster at Croke Park on October 12th.
Similar to the other provinces, Munster will also have a contingent of players on the Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa which will rule them out of the round-two (away to Zebre Parma) and three games.
Munster’s own two-match trek to South Africa to play the Stormers and Sharks comes in the wake of the Leinster game, after which they host an All Blacks XV. An additional fourth Irish November Test, against Australia, clashes with URC round seven, when Munster host the Lions.
“I think it’s always challenging,” admitted Prendergast with a hint of a wry smile, although he maintained that swelling their training numbers to 50 by including the academy players helps them to dig deeper.
He said they could also learn from the demands placed on their squad by the Emerging Ireland tour two years ago in a difficult start for Graham Rowntree’s then newly-appointed coaching ticket, adding: “We have spoken about the start of this season and trying to really hit the ground running.”
To that end, Munster used 30 players in their first pre-season friendly against Bath at The Rec last Saturday, when losing 24-21, with Billy Burns, Tom Farrell, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Bryan Fitzgerald, Jack Oliver, Ronan Foxe, Luca Cleary and Conor Ryan making their first appearances for the province.
While Prendergast had no timeline on any potential return for long-term absentees Roman Salanoa (knee), Edwin Edogbo (Achilles’) and Rory Scannell (ankle), Scott Buckley returned from his short-term loan with Australian side Randwick last week to feature against Bath. The province’s other new signing, the 25-year-old South African winger/full-back Thaakir Abrahams will likely make his first Munster appearance in their pre-season friendly against Gloucester in Virgin Media Park next Friday (kick-off 7pm).
“He’s in the discussion at the moment. We haven’t locked away the team, but he’s here now, let’s get him in there,” said Prendergast, who drew on his own experience in France to suggest Abrahams can adapt better in an English-speaking environment after a difficult season with Lyon.
“As a player I’ve followed him over the last couple of years. I coached a player in Grenoble a few years ago called Gio Aplon and he [Abrahams] has a similar enough profile.
“One of the reasons we brought him in is that he’s got X-factor, footwork, out and out gas. He can play to edges, he’ll get touches on the ball and get off his wing.”
Prendergast admitted Abrahams has clearly been signed to fill the void left by Simon Zebo’s retirement.
“When you look at the backs at the minute, there’s a few more faces, a few more bodies in terms of competition and it’s good going forward. We’ve lost a lot of players, but there’s a new energy and it looks like there’s a good bit of competition, which is good.”
Munster have also dipped into the Energia All-Ireland League by giving the aforementioned Fitzgerald, the 25-year-old Garryowen centre and captain, a three-month contract.
“He’s been consistently good over a number of years in the AIL and I watched him in a development game against Munster in Rosbrien last year and he caught my eye from an attacking point of view,” said Prendergast.
“He’s there on merit and to me it’s a great story. We’ve seen it a number of times with players like James Coughlan. It doesn’t happen too much, but when it does it can be a breath of fresh air.
“He’s come in, he’s fit, he’s got a GAA background, he’s on his bike and he goes. He’s great.”
