Jean Kleyn fired up to see the Haka again, but an on-field view is unlikely

Springbok lock Jean Kleyn is hoping to be able to experience the Haka from the field once again when the Boks and All Blacks battle it out in what is expected to be a blockbuster World Cup final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Saturday night.

Kleyn was able to witness the Haka up close and personal when he was included in the Boks’ match 23 for their clash at Twickenham just before the World Cup, and came off the bench as part of the bomb squad to help them clinch a record 35-7 win.

But the chances of Kleyn playing in the final are relatively slim, unless the Boks choose to go with a 7-1 bench split as they did in their previous game against their arch-rivals.

Kleyn has made only two appearances at the World Cup out of six games, starting against Romania and played off the bench when the Boks went with the 7-1 bench split against Ireland in the pool stages.

In the knockouts the Boks have gone with the 5-3 bench split, with RG Snyman the preferred lock replacement, and even if they choose to go with a 6-2 split for the final it is likely that an extra loose forward, like Marco van Staden, will be backed.

Happy Kleyn

Despite being sidelined from most of their matches, Kleyn is just happy to be part of the squad and help them prepare, and he is looking forward to the atmosphere on Saturday.

 “It’s a fantastic tradition (the Haka), and for us it’s part of playing a match against the All Blacks,” said Kleyn.

“The match we played against them at Twickenham was the first time I faced the Haka. It was a great experience and we honoured it as a team. On Saturday we’ll line up against it as we always do and focus on the game.”

Having played at the previous World Cup in Japan in the colours of Ireland, Kleyn is extremely grateful to have been part of this World Cup with his home country.

“I’ll probably wake up when it’s all said and done and think, ‘was that a dream or did it actually happen?’,” he said.

“It was outside the realm of thinking. It’s been a fantastic journey for me. It’s been an absolute pleasure being part of it.”