RG Snyman's Springbok hopes fading fast as long-awaited return is delayed yet again

RG Snyman's ambitions of contesting for another World Cup winners medal with the Springboks continue to recede following the latest setback to hit his comeback.

The 27-year-old giant, considered a cult figure for his contributions as a Bomb Squad member in 2019's momentous triumph in Japan, hasn't played a competitive match since a URC outing with Munster against the Scarlets in October 2021 following two consecutive serious knee injuries.

He also had to recover from significant burns sustained in a bizarre fire pit incident a few weeks before that same year's British & Irish Lions series.

There had been hopes expressed that Snyman might feature again already, but the Irish club's latest medical report states that the towering lock is now only expected to return in late March once the Six Nations has been completed.

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"RG Snyman’s progression has seen him return to field-based rehabilitation and running. He remains unavailable for the upcoming games this month," Munster said in the communique.

The former Bulls star's fitness problems are now becoming a huge frustration to the club, who've invested a lot of time and money in his rehabilitation for a return of 4 appearances tallying 54 minutes over almost three years.

It also appears increasingly unlikely that he'll be able to force his way into the Bok setup before they jet off to France to defend their world title.

While the national coaching staff continue to value his "freakish" athleticism, Jacques Nienaber and co have moved on in terms of cultivating depth, granting opportunities to local franchise stars such as Salmaan Moerat, Marvin Orie and Ruan Nortje to compete with first-choicers Eben