Gerry Thornley: Painting RG Snyman into the role of villain is plain daft

It’s not RG Snyman’s fault that he suffered two ACL injuries. It’s not his fault that Jean Kleyn’s South African qualifications were revived by Rassie Erasmus. It’s not his fault that Munster decided to release him and, this column understands, informed him of their decision in the immediate aftermath of their World Cup win.
But even by the standards of individual plot lines within the greater scheme of the Leinster-Munster rivalry, rarely can the presence of one player have prompted so much intrigue.
By rights, Rudolph Gerhardus Snyman should be resting up after playing for South Africa for the entirety of their successful Rugby Championship, but a foot injury ruled him out of their final few games so ensuring a swifter arrival in the Leinster HPC in UCD than was expected.
What’s more, the injury was sufficiently minor for Snyman to make his Leinster debut in their bonus-point win in Treviso last week. And, of course, he has been named to make his home debut in blue against the men in red in this Saturday’s record-breaking, marquee clash at Croke Park. Naturally.
Injuries restricted Snyman to just 20 appearances in his four seasons with Munster and their supporters are resigned to him surpassing that total in his first season with Leinster, whose fans will no doubt take gleeful delight in his every positive action. Starting this evening.
Following on from the limited impact of Steven Kitshoff at Ulster and Siya Kolisi at Racing, both of whom returned to South Africa ahead of schedule, Snyman’s limited game time at Munster will have fuelled the debate around the value of hiring South African World Cup winners.
But it wasn’t Snyman’s fault that within seven minutes of his Munster debut, ironically against Leinster, in their rearranged game behind closed doors at the Aviva Stadium in August 2020, that the giant lock suffered a torn ACL. That was just cruel luck for Munster and especially for him.
The injury sidelined him for 14 months and a huge, full-throated roar overtook Thomond Park when Snyman scored in his second game back game against the Stormers after practically slam-dunking the ball over the line.
But nor was it Snyman’s fault when he suffered another ACL injury eight nights later at Parc Y Scarlets. That was beyond cruel.
Cue a 16-month layoff before a sequence of cameos contributed to Munster’s URC title, and although he was again sidelined with a shoulder injury after helping the Springboks retain the World Cup, Munster had already felt obliged to release him.
It was all the fault of Munster’s ex-head coach, the dastardly Erasmus. In availing of World Rugby’s amendments to their eligibility rulings he had called up Kleyn, whose unlikely route to a winners’ medal was one of the World Cup’s true feelgood stories.
But it left Munster with two Springbok locks, meaning one had to go. Even if they’d been allowed to keep both, they’d have been criticised for blocking the likes of Tom Ahern and Edwin Edogbo.
At least they gave Snyman plenty of time to find alternative employers. In another irony, he returned to enjoy the most productive spell of his time at Munster with eight starts and two off the bench.
Meanwhile, Jacques Nienaber agreed to become senior coach at Leinster. Snyman and his wife Saskia liked Ireland. She was finishing her marketing exams and was working with Ernst & Young. They had neither agitated, nor wanted, to leave.
Through his friendship with Jason Jenkins, Snyman had also become acquainted with Dublin, so when Leinster came calling, as they were perfectly entitled to do, it suited both parties, and The Irish Times broke the story last December that Snyman would be pitching up in Leinster.
David Nucifora apparently wasn’t too thrilled but his time as IRFU performance director was reaching an end and the deal was pushed over the line, not least as Leinster had decided to release Jenkins – yet another twist in this curious series of events – so it was one Springbok replacing another.
Given Snyman’s injury profile, Leinster’s move was a gamble, but one worth taking, and given more luck with his health, one which could pay off handsomely.
Leinster’s selection for this game might have provided the first real inkling of how they envisage Snyman’s role. The Springboks most definitely see him as a special impact player in their Bomb Squad. He has played in all bar one of their 14 matches at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, but of those 13 appearances, 11 have been off the bench.
However, Joe McCarthy’s leg injury meant that Leinster were not obliged to choose two from three and so are starting Snyman and James Ryan together.
Snyman was a popular figure in the Munster set-up and has by all accounts settled in seamlessly into his new environment.
“He’s a big old lump, isn’t he?” Jack Conan admitted admiringly in the aftermath of Snyman’s debut at the Stadio di Communale. “He’s class. He reminds me of Dev Toner, just massive hands and catching everything but more than anything else he’s an unbelievably good fellah.
“He’s fitted in incredibly well and I know all the Munster boys rate him really highly and got on with him very well. He’s slotted so well in here in the last few weeks; just a real chilled, happy character. He’s self-assured and just does his thing. I thought he was brilliant out there today, so it was great to get a run-out with the big man.”
One ventures that none of his former Munster team-mates would begrudge Snyman his move to Leinster. You’d wish him an injury-free run too. He is due one.
RG Snyman is absolutely not the villain here.