Munster second row RG Snyman is nearing closer to a return from injury, according to the province's assistant coach Mike Prendergast.The South African lock has been sidelined since October 2021 following an anterior cruciate ligament tear, having suffered a similar injury in August 2020, with the luckless 27-year-old being limited to just 54 minutes of rugby for the province in close to two-and-a-half years.Last month, the province said a potential return was unlikely before the end of December following a consultation with his surgeon, but Prendergast says he's been making good progress towards returning in the new year."Things are positive, that's kind of the overall message that we’ve been getting," he said of Snyman."We’re all excited that he will back into the new year because bringing a world class player like that can do a lot to your game.
Overall, things are moving forward which is great and positive."The World Cup-winning Springbok remains under contract until the summer of 2024, having agreed a two-year extension to remain at the province earlier this year.Snyman joined Munster alongside Damian de Allende in the summer of 2020, before injuring his knee for the first time just seven minutes into his debut against Leinster.That first ACL injury saw him spend almost 13 months on the sidelines, making his comeback on the opening day of last season versus the Cell C Sharks, before scoring his first try for the province the following week.However, the third game of his comeback saw him reinjure his knee, which has seen him sidelined for the last 14 months.Listen to live commentary of Munster v Leinster (26 December, 7.35pm) and Connacht v Ulster (23 December, 7.35pm) on RTÉ Radio 1, or follow our live blogs on