Bakkies or O'Connell? There's no doubting where Jean Kleyn's Bok loyalties lie

To anyone doubting where Jean Kleyn's loyalties lie, just ask him to pick between Bakkies Botha and Paul O'Connell.

"Obviously, it was a great honour to play for Ireland, but I didn't grow up as a young boy watching Paul play, saying, jeez, I wanted to play in his jersey."I was watching Bakkies run around, smashing guys and thinking: 'One day, one day'. You talk about childhood dreams coming true and that stuff. Here I am, sitting here, and never thought I would get the opportunity, but things change, you know."

The 29-year-old Ireland second rower, with five Test caps, has been the most eye-catching selection for the Springboks in the build-up to the World Cup in France later this year, exploiting World Rugby's change in eligibility rules that has allowed him to switch back to the country of his birth after leaving for The Emerald Isle back in 2016.

Kleyn, in fact, is still very much settled with his family in Limerick, where he still plays for Munster, though his love for the Springboks is apparent.

"It's a bit of a round trip," he said ahead of his Bok debut against the Wallabies in Saturday's Rugby Championship opener at Loftus.

"Rassie [Erasmus] was the one who took me over in the first place to Munster and now, seven years later, Rassie was the guy who gave me the call to come back and play here.

"It was a massive journey, but I don’t regret any part of it.

"I've built a family and a home and community out in Ireland, but you can't pass up an opportunity like this. It's a massive honour."

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The 2.03m, 121kg behemoth from Linden in Johannesburg admits he was aware of the world governing body's change in regulations, but was,