RG Snyman returns as Munster hold on against Scarlets

Munster scored seven tries in a hectic 49-42 win against the Scarlets, and although their win keeps their drive for a top-four finish in the BKT United Rugby Championship on course, this was the rare occasion where the night belonged to one man.

Almost 17 months to the day since a recurrence of his anterior cruciate ligament against the same opposition, RG Snyman's second-half introduction for the impressive Jean Kleyn brought the house down, the loudest roar of the night in front of an 8,008 sellout at Musgrave Park.

The 28-year-old's played 17 minutes in his long-awaited return, just his fifth appearance for the province since joining in the summer of 2020, after back to back ACL tears have seen him in the rehab room for the majority of his time at the province.

He found himself involved in a chaotic final quarter, when poor Munster defence made the game far closer than it needed to be, but even the sight of him in the red jersey will be enough to keep the fans warm for three more weeks until their next outing against Glasgow Warriors back at Thomond Park on 24 March. Snyman’s name on the teamsheet will no doubt shift a few more tickets.

The province will head into the final three games of the regular season well placed in the play-off spots, but the manner of their second-half performance, in which they conceded five tries and allowed the Scarlets pick up two bonus points will be hugely frustrating to the coaching team.

The win was blotted by their second-half defence, but their first-half attack continued to impress.

Calvin Nash and Shane Daly looked dangerous every time they got the ball, sharing three of the first-half tries, while Antoine Frisch continued to impress, with his dancing feet setting Patrick Campbell over