Munster boss Graham Rowntree provides bleak RG Snyman prognosis before surgery
Munster head coach Graham Rowntree has provided an update on how long South Africa lock RG Snyman will be out for with his shoulder injury, saying it will be "months, not weeks."
The 28-year-old collected his second World Cup winner's medal two weeks ago, but picked up a shoulder injury in the 12-11 win over the All Blacks in the final which will require surgery. The 6ft 9in lock is set to go under the knife on Friday, and Rowntree has confirmed that the United Rugby Championship winners will be without him for the foreseeable future.
“Devastated for him,” said Rowntree, as reported by the the Irish Independent ahead of Munster's contest with Ulster on Friday.
“He can't get a break. He's having an operation in South Africa on Friday this week, and ultimately we'll have to see what the surgeon finds when he goes in there. That'll give us an exact timeline but it's going to be months, not weeks.
“He came in late last season, had a late run, himself and Tadhg Beirne to the season last year. The way he's played for South Africa in the World Cup, he's been a real force. I'm gutted for him, gutted for him.”
Rowntree has also confirmed that fly-half Joey Carbery will also spend an extended period on the sidelines as well and will also require an operation after sustaining an injury against Benetton at the end of last month.
Rowntree added: “He is having an operation this week and it will be months.
“It will be a few months. Another one, we will see what they find when they go in there but it will be a few months.
“So it is important that we test our depth, isn’t it, around that ten position. Joey is big shoes to fill, so we have to push these young men, we have got to get them through.”
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> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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