The impending and long-awaited return of Springbok lock RG Snyman to the rugby field is not only a boost to the Irish province Munster, but could also prove to be an elixir to their hopes in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
The giant Rugby World Cup-winning Bok is no stranger to playing a massive part in the ambitions of any team he is playing in, but his time at Munster has been plagued by injuries and while the playoffs loom for Graeme Rowntree’s side, they would probably prefer him to just get through their next encounters injury-free, rather than hope for a starring role.
Snyman has played just 54 minutes in four appearances in almost three years at the club, and while he has been dedicated to them and vice versa, at some point he needs to get onto the field to repay some of that loyalty.
There have been injuries, and there have been freak fire pit accidents, that have all stunted his return to the playing field, but there is the hope that if fit, he can once again reclaim the incredible athleticism that made him a part of the 2019 Rugby World Cup squad.
The 2.06m tall lock will be itching to get back onto the field and try and replicate the form that saw him play 23 Test matches in the Green and Gold in 2018 and 2019.
Munster faces a resurgent Scarlets on Friday night and after that has a tough run into the playoffs, with a home game against Franco Smith’s Glasgow Warriors before a trip to South Africa to face the DHL Stormers and Cell C Sharks, as well as a meeting with the Durbanites in the Heineken Champions Cup later on.
All these games would – provided he stays fit – provide the perfect test for Snyman to show he is still good enough to put in a claim to go to the RWC with the Springboks, especially after the Boks admitted last year that they needed to start looking past him in their plans for France 2023.
A fortnight ago, Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast believed that Snyman’s positivity would be the key to getting him back onto the field.
“RG is obviously very resilient as a human, that is first and foremost,” said Prendergast. “He is a really positive guy. He has been through some tough times but has always tried to stay with the group as much as possible and to give input with things like analysing teams.
“RG is really, really excited, we are all excited. It will be a big boost for the club and it is a really good time for him to come back into it after such a long spell out.”
And it is clear that Snyman wants to get over the roller-coaster of injuries, and just get back to playing the game he loves. As he told Rapport newspaper last October, it has been a bit of a nightmare time over the past few seasons for him.
“It feels as if someone’s Jack Russell is running around with a voodoo doll of me,” Snyman told the South African weekly paper.
“It’s been a roller coaster in terms of emotion and disappointment. Every time I have something going for me, there’s a setback.
“This year, I’ve had to deal with injuries, disappointment, flames, death and heartbreak. Fortunately, I’m a positive person. I won’t let this get me down. I’ll come back stronger and better.
“Losing my mother was the biggest heartbreak I’ve suffered. She was my shoulder to cry on and the person, with a smile, who would tell me everything will work itself out.
“It’s been really difficult to go through these setbacks without my mother’s wise advice and comfort. But I’m glad I got to live in her light for a short time. And I’m glad she was there to share in some of the highlights of my life, such as winning the World Cup in 2019 and seeing me marry Saskia.”
And should he stay injury free, you can be sure Snyman won’t lack the motivation to stake another Bok claim.