HE HAS been gradually working his way back from his most recent injury blow, but RG Snyman is now set to make his debut for Leinster against Benetton at Stadio Comunale di Monigo in Treviso this Saturday.
Thanks largely to suffering two anterior cruciate ligament injuries, South African international Snyman was restricted to just 20 appearances across four years at Munster that came to an end earlier this summer — several months after it was announced that he would be joining arch-rivals Leinster for the 2024/25 season.
He had featured against a number of current club-mates during Ireland’s recent summer tour of South Africa, but was withdrawn from the Springboks starting line-up for their Rugby Championship opener away to Australia on 10 August at the 11th hour because of a foot injury.
Snyman has subsequently gone through a rehabilitation programme at Leinster Rugby HQ and while he was close to featuring in their bonus point win over Dragons in the Aviva Stadium last Friday, his former international head coach (and current Leinster senior coach) Jacques Nienaber explained at a media briefing in UCD yesterday why they saw this weekend’s clash as the best possible opportunity to throw him into the mix.
“When we started his return to play date, if everything went 100% and according to plan we hoped that we could get him back for last weekend. From a medical point of view, they thought we must give him a little bit more time and see how he copes. He was in the majority of the training last week and he was comfortable,” Nienaber acknowledged.
“They just wanted to gradually progress his load. He is in full training this week. He trained well today. Hopefully, the medics give us the all-clear. From a coaching point of view, he needs to fulfil our needs in terms of quality of training and what he brings to the training. Then he needs to fulfil their needs in terms of the fact that he doesn’t get symptoms. Then we can pick him.”
Having accumulated a tally of 10 points from their opening two games of the campaign, Leinster sit at the summit of the United Rugby Championship table heading into this weekend’s visit to Benetton — just ahead of Cardiff on score difference.
Even allowing for the fact that a plethora of frontline internationals are yet to make their seasonal returns (though many of them are expected to feature in Treviso), Leinster have used 32 players across the opening two rounds of the URC.
Included amongst this cohort were some of those who played on the summer tour to South Africa, fringe senior players and Academy prospects such as Gus McCarthy, Charlie Tector and Aitzol King.
Although the performances delivered in their bonus point victories to date against Edinburgh and Dragons haven’t been perfect, Leinster senior coach Nienaber is pleased they have come away with a maximum return from these fixtures while also exploring the depth of their squad.
“You can look at it [using 32 players] from a negative point of view or you can look at it from a positive point of view. On one hand I think it is quite positive in terms of growth.
“You get a Charlie Tector that plays with Garry Ringrose and with Jamo [Jamison Gibson Park] and then the next week Charlie has to now get used to playing with Liamo [Liam Turner]. They have Jimmy O’Brien on their outside so they get a little bit of a different voice.
“We like to see it from a positive point of view, from that sense. If you ask me from a performance point of view, if a month ago you said ‘Listen, here’s a contract. Sign it. You’re going to concede two points to Edinburgh, but you will be 10 points after two games’, I probably would have signed on the dotted line.”
One of the interesting aspects of last Friday’s game against Dragons in the Aviva was the presence of newly-appointed Leinster captain Caelan Doris in the coaches’ box alongside Leo Cullen, Nienaber and the remainder of the province’s backroom team.
Nienaber revealed that this decision was often common practice during his time in the South African international set-up and also said he would like Doris to be the first of several Leinster players to take up a position in the coaches’ box on match day.
“I think it’s good for him [Doris]. He was the first one, but we would probably like to have more players with us. It just gives them a different idea of how we see the game and how tense we are,” Nienaber added.
“There was a tactical thing that we wanted to change at half-time and asked for his feedback. Obviously as a player you get a certain sense of where the game is going, but up there you see it a lot different. A little bit more from our view, and it’s great to get his [view]. He probably understands what the lads are feeling on the pitch. So his feeling was brilliant, obviously.”
Back in time for the autumn internationals… injuries after them maybe?
I’m a Munster fan first and foremost, but I’ll support the other 3 provinces when not playing Munster. There’s just something about this transfer that annoys me. I know we released him, and Kleyn, who has been a linchpin, was chosen, but the amount of spent on Snyman, of which there is not a lot in Munster these days, that could have been used elsewhere still hurts. Irony is, he’ll prob score a hat trick against us in an interpro. Especially with our current leaky defence.
@james joyce: if I was a Munster supporter I probably would be upset too, but looking at it as someone without skin in the game, I don’t see any problem really. First, the start of his injury travails were completely not his fault – POM dropped him in the lineout, and I don’t really see how being injured by a teammate who didn’t do his job should lead to club loyalty. Second, yes, he cost a lot, but it didn’t come from their budget, but from a certain Swiss resident who bankrolled him. In terms of the cost of treatment, last time out Snyman opted to get it done in SA as opposed to by the club. Lastly, he played only a few games for ye, but I 100% believe you wouldn’t have won the URC without him…whatever few games he played, he was immense. That alone for me is ample payback.
@james joyce: Yeah I’m a Leinster fan but I don’t like this signing at all.
@JoeVlogs: first point, JP was nothing to do with Snymans wages. secondly, he had his 2nd surgery through munster. nothing to do with south Africa. munster also funded him to go to San Diego to visit a knee specialist who deals with majority of nfl players who do their ACL. get your facts right.
@Niall English: wouldn’t be like Joe not to be talking out his hole
@james joyce: I can understand where you are coming from. But there is an element of swings and roundabouts. Leinster supporters were up in arms when Kidney abandoned us after 1 year of a 3 year deal to go to Munster. As a neutral though, you could hardly begrudge the man a chance to win European Cups with his home province… and it all worked out for the best in the end. Someone called Snyman a snake the other day – I don’t think that is fair. He wanted a contract with minimum disruption to his family. This deal made sense. The only thing that maybe didn’t make sense was the IRFU forcing him to move. But just like Mathewson, Pienaar, Thorn and Hines before him, there is always logic behind their decisions.
@Niall English: a) it is well reported that it was the 1014 group, which includes yer man, who paid Snyman. Here is an IT article for reference
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/johann-van-graan-activated-release-clause-in-two-year-contract-to-leave-munster-job-1.4755449
b) I’m not saying first, second, or third surgery. I’m saying some of his treatment was in South Africa
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2023/11/06/munsters-rg-snyman-to-undergo-surgery-in-south-africa-after-another-injury-setback/
And it’s only fair that a club would pay for an injury that happened to a player in the course of playing for his club. Paying top € for a player yet skimping on his treatment, would be a sure fire way to disincentivise any top quality player from joining the club
@Paul Brown: He may be the guy that can get Leinster no.5 – when fit and firing he can be world class and has great ball handling skills. There is a reason why South Africa have continually stuck by him despite his injury woes
@JoeVlogs: Snyman is quality but Munster absolutely would have won the URC without him. Even in the final run of away games he played very little. Injured again after 19 minutes against Glasgow (nothing to do with O’Mahony). Didn’t feature against Leinster. When he did play (as he did in the final for 47-odd minutes) his contributions were unremarkable in the sense that he wasn’t important for any pivotal play in the game (unlike several other players who were vital). He wasn’t in the top 10 most influential players by any shot.
As to the rest, it’s your usual thing of putting the most uncharitable spin on anything Munster-related. Spare me the “someone without skin in the game” shtick, you know well what you’re doing but so does everyone else.
I don’t think he should have been signed, 1 year ( or half year signings ) are a waste. We have 50 players as it is. Still he’s here so we should milk every minute we can from him.
@chris mcdonnell: so you’d rather go into the season with just 3 senior second rows? Plus a 4th who is in year 2 of the academy? That’s a pretty wild take and quite misguided.
@chris mcdonnell: that’s interesting, didn’t you defend the Barrett signing last week?
@brian o’leary: no I don’t think I did. I understand why and he’s signed so I will get behind him but we just don’t need him. We have quality all across our backline as it is.
@Carmine Lorenzo: signing a player for 1 season makes no sense, a player with one of the worst injury profiles in world rugby, he actually arrived injured. we let a fantastic club secondrow in ross molony leave . we also have the likes of Baird and soroka who can play 2nd row but I’d we are so low in secondrow stock, just like our prop situation maybe we need to look at the coaching and future planning from Cullen. 5 outhalves and 3 second rows?
@chris mcdonnell: well fair enough, although getting behind him is kind of the same as defending him. Ultimately there are limitations on niq’s and these have increased over the years, and hopefully will continue to increase as irish rugby gets stronger. Barrett plays 12, and with Aki’s age profile , ireland need to develop options quickly.
@chris mcdonnell: The point though is RG is a tight head lock, Molony a loose head lock, big difference. Ryan sometimes covers THL but really isn’t one, Joe McC would have been the only THL in the squad, we needed another. Baird and Soroaka can cover LHL only, listen to any professional forward and they’ll tell how import having a THL is
@brian o’leary: The Barrett deal has definitely been set up to suit NZ and the player more than Leinster. We just couldn’t resist the temptation and I am not sure many clubs coukd have (there have been lots of these deals in French rugby in the past). Having said that, would Leinster have won their Heineken Cups without Rocky Elsom in 2009 or Brad Thorn in 2012? Plus, young Charlie Tector could learn a tonne from Jordie as he has a similar physique and range of skills. Personally I think that NIQ players should and will only be short term signings going forward. 6 months to a year is the perfect amount of time to have an impact without getting in the way.
@chris mcdonnell: How do you know Snyman won’t get an extension? One year deal makes perfect sense – let an injury prone player play a lot and prove he’s worth a 2 year renewal. Leinster are fully entitled to argue they need the renewal due to a dearth of quality locks. Unfortunately Deeny hasn’t shown anything to prove he’ll be a starting URC quality lock. Furthermore you cite that “Soroka and Baird can play 2nd row.” Baird is now a 6 first and foremost and should be allowed play there and prove he should be the Ireland 6. How many times has Soroka played 2nd row? He’s another 6 who is not a proven 2nd row URC starter type, yet. COT is still academy and Spicer is only 19 or 20 so he’s a year or two away yet.
@Andrew Slazenger: Stop speaking sense! Let’s just bash any NIQ signings without them even having taken to the pitch and also arrogantly think that we’re better off without them.
Release the Kraken!!!!
Given his horrendous injury record, RGS is obviously a very risky signing for Leinster. But sometimes you need something extra special to get you over the line, and Snyman certainly fits the bill in that regard.
It was of course a shame for him and Munster that he was available so little, but they won their first trophy in 9 years when he was available. Would they have done it without him? Would Leinster have lost repeatedly to Wil Skelton had they had RGS?
Dan Carter only played 5 times for Perpignan, yet that season – mostly without him on the field – they won their first Top 14 in 54 years. Brad Thorn only played 8 times for Leinster, but one of those was a winning CL final.
@Brian Corcoran: He’s not risky at all. A one year deal is perfect – if his injury record is bad, he’ll be released and we move on. Will have been totally worth the potential upside. What is more risky is letting two senior second rows leave this summer and replace with just one. Lack of depth there unless Soroka can break through as a 2nd row.
The snake himself
@James Molowney: why is he a snake? Munster released him, he wanted to dtay in Ireland! Would you say the same if he went to Ulster or Connacht?
@James Molowney: Any other insights?
@James Molowney: more money, bigger city to live in, more chance of top level trophy. He’s a smart snake if he’s a snake
I worry about Leinster’s strength in depth.
As Brendan Grace used to say “good luck with dat “.