RG Snyman opens up on reuniting with former Springboks coach who ‘gets the best out of him’
RG Snyman in action for the Springboks against England.
Springboks enforcer RG Snyman is reaping the rewards of reuniting with former coach Jacques Nienaber at Leinster, and feels the “change of scenery” has been the key to his return to top form.
The towering lock had an injury-stricken spell at Munster, but since moving across to bitter rivals Leinster has rediscovered his best form, and is once again a regular in Rassie Erasmus’s side.
“I know he gets the best out of me”
Snyman has made four appearances for his new employers since making the switch to Dublin, and in that time has nabbed a tidy haul of two tries – only three off his tally of five for the entire 2023/24 season with Munster.
Speaking to Planet Rugby after helping the Springboks to a 29-20 win over England, Snyman said he feels working with former Springboks World Cup-winning coach Nienaber has been the secret to unlocking his best form, alongside the “change of scenery”.
“As much as I enjoyed my time at Munster, I think the change of scenery has done me well,” he said. “And then getting to work with Jacques again is something that I enjoy.”
He added: “I know he gets the best out of me, so it’s just continuing that.”
It’s been a tough few years for Snyman on the injury front. He has suffered two ruptured ACLs, as well as shoulder, chest and foot injuries. These have, inevitably, limited his playing time too, with the lock only making 20 appearances for Munster over his four seasons in Limerick.
Now back to full fitness, he is looking like the dominant force he was prior to his issues, but he spoke honestly about how he still has room to improve.
“I’m definitely getting there (back to his best) I would say,” he told Planet Rugby.
“There’s never a perfect game, there’s always something that you can still work on. I’ve definitely got some stuff to look at, but I’m happy to get the win!”
Snyman’s return to full fitness only bolsters Erasums’ options up front, with Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert and even Pieter-Steph du Toit all potential engine room options for the upcoming clash with Wales.
Partnership with Eben Etzebeth
As alluded to above, the Boks are loaded with spectacular second-row options, but the partnership of Snyman and Etzebeth in particular is potentially their best option moving forward.
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The pair have featured alongside each other in various guises, but the victory at Allianz Stadium was the first time they had started a game together in the Green and Gold, and Synman touched on the “nice week” they have had together ahead of the game.
“It was the first time we’ve (him and Eben Etzebeth) started together, so it was a nice week for us,” he said.
The duo were able to cause havoc around the breakdown, and in particular, give young Jack van Poortvliet nightmares with repeated charge downs.
Commenting on this, Snyman said they knew exactly what was coming their way.
“The way we planned, we expected them to come with a heavy kicking game so we wanted to put a lot of pressure on them around the breakdown, especially on the scrum-half. If they get that kick, they are very competitive and have players who are good in the air; so that was an area we targeted and it came off for us in the end,” he explained.
The Springboks now prepare for their final fixture of the calendar year against Wales, where they will be looking for a repeat of their 41-13 win back in June.
