Johannesburg - Springbok lock RG Snyman’s sad saga of injuries is far from over and it will be a long time — if ever — before he resumes a Springbok career that stalled after the World Cup final in 2019.
Snyman has been out injured, pretty much, since playing off the bench in the 32-12 defeat of England in Yokohama three years ago and his coach at Munster, Graham Rowntree, says the towering lock won’t be playing any time soon.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber said earlier this year that they were expecting to have Snyman back for the November tour of Europe, but Rowntree says the 27-year-old’s recovery from another serious knee injury is taking longer than expected.
Snyman was a massive part of the Bomb Squad at the last World Cup, but misfortune has plagued him ever since and Munster must be wondering if they will ever get their money’s worth out of the lanky former Bull, who has played just four matches for them since arriving in 2020.
And Snyman has played just 54 minutes of the last two seasons for the club after suffering two cruciate knee ligament injuries, plus he was badly burned in a bonfire accident at a Munster end-of-season party last June, along with Bok teammate Damian de Allende.
The latter recovered just in time to play against the British & Irish Lions last July, but Snyman had no such luck.
When Rowntree was asked about Snyman’s progress, he tersely said: “He’s not quite there yet. He’s had a very difficult year and we’re not pushing him. All I can say at this point, for the foreseeable, he’s not quite ready yet.”
Rowntree can be excused for being touchy about the subject because he could do with Snyman’s services. He is under huge pressure after taking over as head coach from Johann van Graan — Munster have lost to Cardiff and Dragons in their opening games of the new United Rugby Championship (URC) season, and the Irish giants almost never lose to the Welsh teams.
IOL Sport