RG Snyman ready for first Munster start at Thomond Park after recovering from pneumonia

READY: RG Snyman during Munster rugby squad training at University of Limerick in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Just when you thought RG Snyman had endured quite enough for one lifetime, let alone a four-year spell with Munster, the double World Cup-winning South Africa lock reveals he has just overcome a bout of pneumonia.

Add that debilitating illness to the two knee reconstructions, burns from a firepit accident and chest/shoulder surgery that have reduced his on-field time since joining the province in the summer of 2020 to just 15 appearances and it is a miracle the big man even reached double figures in red.

Should Snyman, 29, make it unscathed to this Saturday evening, and let us not take anything for granted in that respect, cap number 16 could, remarkably, represent a first start at Thomond Park when Connacht travel down the road to Limerick.

Regrettably for Munster supporters it could also be one of his final appearances on home turf before a summer move to Leinster, brought about as an unintended consequence of team-mate and fellow lock Jean Kleyn’s call up by the Springboks last summer.

With the former South African-born former Ireland international returning to Non-Irish-Qualified status, Munster had to lose one of their overseas locks under IRFU player pathway rules and it was Snyman who was forced to seek employment elsewhere.

It will be small comfort for those Munster fans that the Snymans have found life so agreeable in Ireland that their desire to stay on these shores made Leinster the perfect fit but few will want to see a player of his talents spend any more time on the sidelines, starting with potentially six more games in red before the end of the URC campaign.

Snyman is certainly determined to bow out in style, his form since returning from the chest/shoulder injury sustained in last autumn’s successful World Cup defence having been nothing short of electric with three tries in five appearances either side of that bout of the illness that forced him out of the Champions Cup Round of 16 loss at Northampton last month.

“It’s obviously not ideal but I think I’ve learned the luck of the Irish is reserved for the Irish,” he said on Tuesday as he looked forward to playing Connacht for the first time this Saturday.

“Listen, it’s not been easy but I’m certainly enjoying the time I do get and the opportunities I get to be out there with the guys.”

When he Snyman has been fit he has been impactful, not least in the last two URC games at altitude in his native South Africa as he helped Munster to back-to-back bonus-point wins, the first of which saw the second row score two tries against his boyhood club the Bulls for a historic first European club victory at Loftus Versfeld.

“Literally that’s where I grew up and where I played most of my rugby throughout my life, not just at the start of my professional career. So it was special to be back there.

“It was a great experience and a great tour for us and we made the most of it, not just the games but the time we spent off the field as well. It was good for us to get together.”

That Snyman had climbed off his sickbed to make the tour was another testament to the man’s commitment to the cause. He was one of a number of Munster players to take ill in the week of the Northampton knockout tie, with one crucial difference.

“I actually didn’t have what the rest of the guys had, I had pneumonia. So I was really not well over those two weeks and it’s not the easiest thing then to go play at altitude in Pretoria but it all turned out okay.

“It was definitely a shock, the first big training session we had there, I must say. But at least knowing what to expect and knowing how you will feel, getting that iron taste in the back of your throat while you’re running, it’s not a new experience, you know, growing up there.

“At least I knew what to expect but it was certainly a shock that first training session.”

RG Snyman during Munster rugby squad training at University of Limerick in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Now Snyman finally gets to run out as a starter at Thomond Park in what will be just his fifth appearance at the stadium in four years, the previous four coming off the bench with his only previous home start coming in Cork against Zebre in March.

“Yeah, my road here and my time here hasn’t been the easiest but I’ve been as dedicated as I could have been throughout my entire time. It’s almost as if all of the opportunities I ended up not having gets thrown into this last bit of the season and into the opportunities I do get.

“So it is certainly exciting for me to be in Thomond Park.”

Snyman said the last four years had allowed him to reflect on what it means to be given the opportunity to take one’s chance and added: “I definitely am enjoying it. It’s brilliant to be out there again, especially after everything I’ve been through but the thing is, I’ve always enjoyed my rugby and that was always the biggest driving force behind me playing.

"I feel like you play your best as well, when you are just relaxed and enjoying the game. But in saying that, you definitely appreciate it way more looking through these eyes as opposed to looking through, I guess, pre-injury (eyes) …”

Snyman will sign off with one URC winner’s medal, having played his part in Munster’s road-trip title success at the end of last season. He now wants to repeat the trick, albeit by securing a home draw for the play-offs this time around.

"It's definitely something we cherish, it's actually an unbelievable way to end the season last year.

"Thinking back on it now… I don't think a lot of teams can do something like that.

"The belief it gave this group, it put us in a great spot for this season. We do know what it takes now, obviously with doing it the hard way last season, we'll look to end off the season to finish strong, to put ourselves in a better position to hopefully make it a little bit easier - I don't want to say easy, but to play at Thomond is some atmosphere. There's not a lot of places in the world like it."

So Leinster will have to wait a little while longer.

"Definitely,” said Snyman, “I'm very much focused on what I need to do here."