RG Snyman will not be taking Springboks return for granted

Johannesburg – Sporting a mohawk cut and his trademark thick beard, RG Snyman looks like he could easily be cast as a warrior from the Viking Age – or at least as Hollywood would interpret the Norsemen of old in our modern era.

The trials and tribulations the lock has faced in recent years could also be script worthy.

Snyman has not played for the Springboks since famously coming off the bench as part of the Bomb Squad to help lift the Webb Ellis Cup in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final. Persistent injuries since that gloriously fateful day, have conspired to keep him sidelined and away from national duty.

Back then, he looked more akin to a Berserker, his scraggly bush erupting out of his face and capped with a rough mop of hair, than the more noble appearance he wore earlier this week. So, while the look has been slightly altered – on the evidence of his most recent performances for Munster – his determination to overcome set-back after set-back and the rage of a fighter have been fortified and remain in waiting, ready to be unleashed at Test level once again.

“It was a very tough thing for me, especially not playing for the Springboks,” Snyman said thoughtfully earlier this week, while speaking at a Bok media briefing in Pretoria.

“It was the thing that drove me to get myself better, to get back to being on the field and to get myself back to a place where I can be back here.” “It is lekker to be back,” he added. “It is a privilege to be with the Boks and that is something you only realise when you are not here. Being here must not be taken lightly.”

The fluctuating fortunes of Snyman on the fitness front deprived South Africa of his particular brand of brutality, which one would expect the 28-year-old is keen to remind world rugby of.

Luckily for Snyman, the consistency that the current Bok set-up boasts with Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber at the helm, and the fact that he will be surrounded by familiarity in teammates, vision, and set-up, will make it all the easier for the 2m-plus man-mountain to return to his halcyon days.

Said Snyman: “It is easier to come back into a system … and you have worked with the guys before and you know them. They got me up to speed very quickly and that is the biggest difference being away so long – the connection with the other guys.

“The most important thing in this squad is, we all understand our roles. We work towards that, and we work well together to strengthen each other.

“The competition between us is great because it brings the best out of us. That will only allow us to be better …

“It isn’t easy to be here but one of the advantages is knowing what it takes to get here. I know that if I work hard enough, and I play well enough, I will get the opportunities.”

Snyman, who has played 23 Tests for South Africa, is one of five outright second-row players in the current preparation camp being held in the administrative capital, training alongside Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Jean Kleyn and Marvin Orie. Franco Mostert and Pieter-steph du Toit are also in the camp and can also slot in at lock, with the second row arguably the former’s preferred position.

It is these names that Snyman must compete against if he is to get the nod in a matchday 23 for the upcoming Rugby Championship, starting on July 8 against Australia at Loftus Versfeld; but more importantly, to be named in August in the Bok squad that will defend the world cup crown in France later this year.

The inclusion of Kleyn might have raised some eyebrows earlier this week after Erasmus took advantage of World Rugby’s new eligibility rules, but Snyman is confident in his Munster teammate.

The 29-year-old, Johannesburg-born lock previously played five Tests for Ireland – all at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Due to his inactivity at international level for the Emerald Isle since then, he can once again play for the country of his birth.

“Having JK here is also special,” Snyman said.

“He had a great season. I think he started every game for Munster and the way he plays the game, speaks for itself.

“It is great to have him here. I am glad that he is getting recognised for that.”

@FreemanZAR