RG Snyman set for 'special' 50th Springbok Test against Irish teammates

The Springbok Viking, RG Snyman, is set to earn his fiftieth Test cap on Saturday against Ireland, and it will be extra special for him considering Dublin is now his hometown.

Snyman will be playing against many of his Leinster team-mates and former Munster mates. The former Blue Bull has been based in Ireland since the 2019 World Cup, spending five years in the red of Munster before joining their big rivals, Leinster, last year.

If it seems odd that the vastly talented Snyman is only now reaching fifty caps after debuting for the Boks in July 2018, we should not forget that he missed three and a half years of rugby because of severe injury setbacks — two ACL ruptures and a sternum injury — while severe burns sustained when a Munster end-of-season bonfire party went badly wrong also sidelined him.

“It will be very special to play against Ireland because the country has been such a big part of my career,” Snyman said.

“I have a lot of friends here. You always put in a little extra because you want their respect.”

After featuring in the World Cup final against England on 2 November 2019, Snyman next played for the Boks on 8 July 2023 against Australia at Loftus Versfeld. That is a serious chunk missing from his international career.

“The injuries made me stronger. It was the hardest time of my life,” he said. “I’m stronger psychologically now. I’m desperate to wear the Bok jersey every week.”

The 33-year old says the approaching milestone will mean a great deal to him.

“I’m taking it week by week. It would be incredible to play my fiftieth because I missed so many Tests.”