Who’s hot and who’s not: Jake Polledri’s return, Blitzboks’ Commonwealth Games win and George Ford’s injury

After being on the sidelines since November 2020, Gloucester announced that the Italy international had returned to fitness and also signed a new deal for good measure. Polledri sustained a horrendous injury which saw him suffer a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament, as well as a fractured leg, torn calf and ruptured a hamstring off the bone – all from an innocuous slip. It was career-threatening but thankfully Polledri has recovered and is back in training. It is so good to see the powerful ball carrier return and hopefully he will be wreaking havoc soon.

He's back.

Confirmed. pic.twitter.com/6w4sKkIUbi

— Gloucester Rugby (@gloucesterrugby) July 28, 2022

There was good news for Munster and Springboks supporters after the Irish province revealed last week that the behemoth second-row is close to full fitness after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The 2019 Rugby World Cup winner joined Munster in 2020 but suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on debut against Leinster. He was then sidelined due to burn wounds suffered during a fire-pit accident and eventually returned to action in October last year. That was a brief comeback as Snyman re-ruptured the same ligaments in his next game – against Scarlets – but is now close to a full recovery as he has been part of Munster’s pre-season training programme.

"There is good news on the injury front as we started the pre-season training programme with RG Snyman (knee) reintegrating to team training."

Boost for Munster as RG Snyman's return draws closer. #URC https://t.co/pX5nb06Bec

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) July 27, 2022

South Africa Sevens: The Blitzboks were in excellent form at the Birmingham