Cape Town – Springbok lock RG Snyman says being injured for such a long time "challenged me more than anything before”.
The good news for Bok fans is that Snyman emerged unscathed from his return to rugby for Munster at the weekend.
It may not exactly have been a ‘Bomb Squad’ worthy display, but the only thing that matters is that Snyman is playing rugby again.
The Bok giant has battled with serious knee injuries since his arrival in Ireland following the 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph in Japan, and has featured for just 52 minutes across four matches for the Irish province.
Thrilled for RG Snyman tonight, a fantastic ovation from the Musgrave Park crowd to welcome him back onto the field 👏#MUNvSCA #URC #SUAF 🔴pic.twitter.com/omC3F5dLi8
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) March 3, 2023
The latest ACL knee problem took him 17 months to recover from, but all the rehabilitation and training off the field has paid off as Snyman made his comeback off the bench for Munster last Friday night against the Scarlets at Musgrave Park in Cork.
Munster were dominant in the first half and scored five tries for a 35-7 lead at the break, but the Welsh club never gave up the fight in the second half.
The match eventually ended at 49-42 in Munster’s favour, with Snyman coming on after 63 minutes as a replacement for Jean Kleyn – a former Stormers lock who has played Test rugby for Ireland.
The Musgrave Park crowd roared in approval as a smiling Snyman jogged onto the pitch.
But he had to do the hard yards as Munster had to defend a number of attacks from the Scarlets, which saw the Bok second-rower mainly cleaning out rucks and securing his team’s possession.
He made a couple of tackles too, although there was only one real carry in midfield as the Irish side held on for a hard-fought win.
But while there weren’t any of those magical basketball offloads in the tackle, Snyman will be pleased to have made a solid return to action as he tries to find some form over the next few months in order to work his way back into Springbok contention.
Munster stated in a squad update this week that Snyman was in good shape and had "no issues" after his cameo.
"What a night in Cork. I am grateful for what I've learnt during my recovery over the past year," Snyman wrote on his Instagram page this week.
"It has challenged me more than anything before.
"I am grateful for the people around me who supported and stood by me through this process and gave me energy when I needed it.
"I am grateful to be back on the field and be part of this team.
"Most of all, I am grateful for the opportunity that lies ahead and to go after it with all the strength that I've built up.
"This is one step in the right direction.”
The 28-year-old will have to wait another two weeks before the next match, though, as Munster are only back on the field on March 25 in a United Rugby Championship fixture against the Glasgow Warriors at home.
Snyman should then travel to South Africa as Munster will take on the Sharks in a Champions Cup round of 16 clash at Kings Park on April 1, before facing the Stormers in Cape Town in the URC on April 15 and the Sharks again in Durban on April 22.
If he can stay fit, the former Bulls second-rower has a good chance of adding to his 23 Bok Test caps in the first Rugby Championship match against the Wallabies in Pretoria on July 8.
“He is a strong character and strong human being, so I hope things will go well for him this season, and maybe he gets back into shape for him to be considered for the World Cup squad,” Bok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said at the training camp in Cape Town.
“I don’t think there is a coach who will complain when he has RG Snyman as part of his team. If you look at his stature, he is massive, over two metres and with the skills that he has…
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“The only thing for him will be getting back into good shape. I know he is a very special player. That’s one thing we were fortunate with in 2019.
“Having him on the bench with a guy like Franco Mostert is what made it a Bomb Squad. It doesn’t help to have six forwards on the bench, but they don’t bring the same impact.
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“That’s one thing we know from RG Snyman – imagine now as a lock, you play against Lood (de Jager) and Eben (Etzebeth), and then all of a sudden when you think it’s time to have a break, then RG Snyman comes onto the field!
“If we can get him back onto the field at his best and he is in good shape, it will be good for our team and squad depth.”
IOL Sport