Munster and Springboks lock Snyman remains out until 2023

Munster will have to wait until next year to see World Cup winner RG Snyman on the field again after the lock had a consultation with his surgeon this week.

Successive anterior cruciate ligament ruptures have limited the 27-year-old to under an hour of rugby for the Irish province since he made his debut against Leinster in August 2020, and though there were hopes that he could be making a return in the coming weeks, those hopes have been dashed.

In a squad update on their website on Wednesday, Munster wrote: “RG Snyman had a routine consultation with his surgeon last week and following the review the lock is not expected to be available for selection before the end of December.”

All Munster and South Africa fans will be hoping that they will only need to wait until the early weeks of 2023 before the 117kg lock is back playing again.

Munster are also without 13 Ireland internationals who are in camp preparing for their Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Australia, while Malakai Fekitoa has linked up with Tonga, who play Spain, Chile and Uruguay this month.

Snyman will have divided loyalties on Thursday November 10 as Munster host South Africa A at the sold out Páirc Uí Chaoimh. He last donned the green of the Springboks in the 2019 World Cup final, coming on from the bench in South Africa’s victory. He will face a race against time next year upon his return to be fit for the Springboks’ title defence in France, which is set to begin in September.

Eleven players join Snyman on Munster’s injury list: RG Snyman (knee), Jack Daly (knee), Paddy Kelly (head), Keith Earls (thigh), Andrew Conway (knee), Fineen Wycherley (shoulder), Antoine Frisch (calf), Jack O’Sullivan (knee), Stephen Archer (ankle), Tom Ahern (shoulder), Jean Kleyn (ribs), Liam Coombes (hamstring).