‘I’ve learned the luck of the Irish is reserved for the Irish’ – RG Snyman on his misfortune at Munster

On Saturday against Connacht, he’ll start a match at Thomond Park for the first time since joining from Japan nearly four years ago. It will be his 16th match in red.

During that period, he suffered two serious knee injuries, damaged his hand in a freak fire-pit incident and hurt his chest/shoulder while winning a World Cup for South Africa.

A few weeks ago, he was due to play against Northampton Saints in Munster’s Champions Cup last-16 tie and came down with pneumonia.

“I’ve learned the luck of the Irish is reserved for the Irish,” he says with a smile as he considers the fact he has, at most, six games left in red before he moves to Leinster next season.

“Listen, it’s not been easy, but I’m certainly enjoying the time I do get and the opportunities I get to be out there with the guys.

​“My road here and my time here hasn’t been the easiest, but I’ve been as dedicated as I could have been throughout my entire time. It’s almost as if all of the opportunities I ended up not having get thrown into this last bit of the season and into the opportunities I do get.

“So it is certainly exciting for me to be in Thomond Park.”

Snyman says the reaction to his decision to sign for Leinster has not been as visceral as he’d expected.

Perhaps it’s understandable if disgruntled fans have decided not to tell the giant lock what they think of his move to his face, but there appears to be an understanding that his departure is down to circumstances as much as anything else.

“If you do something like that, I guess you do expect a backlash, but I must say people have been very understanding about it,” he said.

“I think people understand the professional side of the game a lot better, so I must say people have actually been OK and the guys in the building have been brilliant and very professional about it.

“I’ve obviously made a strong bond with the guys over here over the last four years, especially with everything I’ve been through and them becoming family and a support system. So I do appreciate them handling it the way they have.”

Today's Sport News in 90 Seconds - 8th May

Rassie Erasmus’s decision to pick Jean Kleyn for South Africa left Munster with a choice as to which of their Springbok locks to retain and they went with the former Ireland international.

That meant Snyman had to find a new club, and although Bath were showing a strong interest, the prospect of staying in Ireland and working with Jacques Nienaber was too strong.

“Can I say the Guinness? Is that too much?” he laughs when asked why he’s found Ireland such a good fit.

“Ja, so we didn’t really know what to expect when we came over to Ireland.

“Over the time here, the friends we’ve made and the connections we’ve made with people, just being welcomed the way we were here was something special to us.

“We really enjoy staying here, (but) I must say the weather is a bit challenging, especially if you go back home and it’s winter in South Africa and it’s still a bit warmer than it is here most of the time.

“But, we’ve just settled in really nicely, we’ve made good friends and my wife is working here as well. She’s getting her career started, it’s just been challenging, obviously, but we’ve really enjoyed it.”

He has a few weeks left in the Munster set-up and, after starring during the successful trip to South Africa, where Munster beat the Bulls and Lions to put themselves in a strong URC position, is fully focused on retaining the crown they won last season.

“It’s definitely something we cherish. It’s actually an unbelievable way to end the season last year,” he said of last year’s win.

“Thinking back on it now, we played six games away from home and won all six to win the URC. I don’t think a lot of teams can do something like that.

“The belief it gave this group, it put us in a great spot for this season. We do know what it takes.”