Defending champions Munster are delighted to have RG Snyman fit and firing as the Springbok lock looks to cap his stint at the Irish club with back-to-back Vodacom URC titles.
Snyman will be joining former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber at Leinster next season, after Munster were unable to offer him a contract extension due to IRFU guidelines that do not allow more than one non-Irish qualified player in a position.
The 29-year-old has endured another injury-hit season with Munster, undergoing surgery on a chest injury after the 2023 World Cup, before suffering from a bout of pneumonia in March.
Since arriving in Limerick in 2020, Snyman has been restricted to just 16 appearances in all competitions, suffering knee ligament injuries in his first couple of seasons with Munster.
However, Snyman is now on a run of three successive starts and he hasn’t lost a game since returning to the field in February, driving Munster into the top four of the Vodacom URC.
Forwards coach Andi Kyriacou told the Irish media this week that Munster are determined to get the most out of Snyman during the two-time World Cup winner’s remaining weeks with the club.
“He’s a good man as well,” Kyriacou was quoted by the Irish Examiner.
“He’s a great bloke to have in the environment, in the building, he doesn’t just offer value on the grass, what he does off the field with teammates and around the place culturally is excellent.
“I honestly can’t speak highly enough of him, he’s just a great bloke and a great player and I’m glad he’s fit and he’s available.
“RG has fitted into more of that ‘4’ lock role that you would have seen Jean Kleyn occupy in previous seasons,” Kyriacou added.
“He is not just a big man who carries hard and things like that, his skill-set, his knowledge in and around the lineout, how able he is to manipulate things in mauls and maul defence is pretty special.
“Then his overall game, you are seeing more and more of his offloading game, and the big thing we are seeing big strides in is his defensive performances.
“He’s not just making shots on people, he is up and he is creating a lot of chaos in the tackle zone.”
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