RG Snyman injury 'significant' says Munster boss

Giant Springbok secondrow RG Snyman could be left facing another spell on the sidelines, just three games into his return to professional rugby.

Munster ran out 43 - 13 winners at Parc Y Scarlets this afternoon, but the injury to their star lock has cast a shadow over the impressive United Rugby Championship victory.

Snyman was removed from the pitch just 10 minutes after being subbed on the second half and it's an injury that Johan van Graan has described as 'significant'.

“It looks like it might be significant,” Van Graan said in his post-match reaction. “I’m not going to comment on it at this stage until he’s gone for a scan.

"Obviously, he’s a very important squad player for us in terms of what he can bring. Hopefully we get some good news but it’s pretty difficult to say at this stage.

“After speaking to him in the changing room, you know, pretty worried about it.”

"We are pretty worried about it. He'll need to go for a scan and we'll see what's ahead of him then. We'll all rally around him and make sure he's well looked after."

Snyman has only just returned from a long-term injury lay-off – including a knee surgery and skin grafts after the infamous Munster fire pit incident.

Prior to his three cameos in this season's inaugural URC, the 6'9 Springboks forward hadn't appeared for Munster since his debut in 2020, which lasted only seven minutes before coming down hard from a lineout and tore knee ligaments that kept him out for longer than expected.

Munster and South Africa fans will be following the injury updates closely, over the next 48 hours, to get news on how badly the lock is faring.

It's a cruel blow for the South African, who Munster delighted to see back on the pitch.

“When we recruited RG we saw something in him that can make a big difference to our team and specifically to our group,” Van Graan said recently. “When you look at players you don’t look only at what they can do on the pitch but also off the pitch. In my view he’s a phenomenal rugby player and an incredible human being so we missed those two things last season, the fact that we couldn’t have him."