Bok lock RG Snyman’s World Cup hopes going up in smoke

The slim hopes that World Cup-winning Springbok lock RG Snyman had of forcing his way into the Bok frame ahead of next year’s showpiece event look to be going up in smoke after it was confirmed that his injury-enforced absence has been extended.

Munster head coach Graham Rowntree earlier this week confirmed that Snymam would not be back in action for them “for some time,” which has put paid to any chance he had of featuring for the Boks on their end-of-year tour.

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It was widely expected that Snyman, who has been through several injury setbacks since joining the Irish club, would be available for the Boks’ November tour, or at the very least for Munster when they play a South African XV in a tour match in Cork in November.

But the news will come as a body blow not only for the club but for Springbok fans as well, as the World Cup-winning giant has been sorely missed since he started picking up one injury after another.

Lock depth

The Boks have seen a number of exciting young locks coming through the system with Salmaan Moerat and Ruan Nortje getting some game time, while Marvin Orie remains on the fringes.

With Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert expected to fill three of the four lock berths for next year’s World Cup, one of Moerat, Nortje or Orie will most likely get the nod as the fourth member.

For Snyman, the focus should now just be on getting himself fit as he has played just 54 minutes in two seasons for his club after picking up two cruciate knee ligament injuries and it seems he will be out for longer than expected.

“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,” was all that Rowntree would say to media enquiries on his fitness.

It seems a certainty now that Snyman will not be in action until after the November break, and perhaps even longer if the prognosis is as bad as feared.

Rowntree is already under pressure as new coach of the United Rugby Championship team since Johann van Graan departed, losing to Cardiff and Dragons in opening round games that Munster would normally have ticked off as victories.

The two defeats in two starts represent Munster’s worst start to the campaign since the Celtic League started in 2001-2 and Rowntree is highly annoyed.

Now heading into a fixture against a much improved Zebre, who have surprised pundits with their performances this season, Rowntree knows the pressure is on for his struggling team.