Siya Kolisi and RG Snyman clashed many times when Kolisi was leading the DHL Stormers between 2015 and 2019 and the lock was playing for the Vodacom Bulls, and he remembers him as an abrasive opponent.
However, while he stresses that he doesn’t want Snyman to do too well and he definitely doesn’t want him to be on the winning side, he is delighted to be resuming that rivalry as Kolisi leads the Cell C Sharks against Munster in their Heineken Champions Cup round of 16 clash at HollywoodBets Kings Park on Saturday.
It’s not that Kolisi wants to play against Snyman, or that he wants to see him benefit Munster, but more that he appreciates the value of a player who was perhaps the catalyst for Rassie Erasmus’ famous Bomb Squad six/two split between forwards and backs that helped engineer the Springbok win at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
If Snyman gets back his previous form and prowess, Kolisi knows what a boon he will be to the Bok chances of retaining the Webb Ellis trophy.
INSPIRATION
Obviously I want him to do well, because he’s a good friend of mine, and it will also be good for South Africa, because he’s a very good player,” said Kolisi in the buildup to the Munster clash.
“I really enjoy playing with him, and it’s not always nice to play against him, and I don’t want him to play too well, but I’m glad that he’s on the pitch and is playing.
“I hope that it inspires a lot of guys who get injuries to know that it is possible to get them up, and with the backing of your club, it’s huge that Munster could back him like that.
“So I’m really happy for him and the club to have him back… and obviously the country, South Africa, is happy to have him back too.”
Kolisi’s signalling out Munster for backing Snyman is because the former Bulls second row forward has played just six matches for the Irish province since he joined them along with fellow Bok Damian de Allende, who is now playing in Japan, back in 2020.
“It’s never nice to see a player go through an injury period, especially a long one like he has,” said the Bok and Sharks skipper.
“For him to stay in the fight because a lot of people can give up and just not work, but he stayed in it. It shows as well how special of a team Munster are as a club, as a union, to stick with him and keep on looking after him.
“That’s the values you want in a club, that’s going to be with you through the toughest of times and him staying there and fighting through it.
“For us, it’s an inspiration to keep on going and working hard until he got to that moment, and I don’t care who he plays for, it doesn’t matter who he is, as long as a player is like that, I really get inspired by that, and I’ve been rooting for him.”
WORLD CUP SQUAD?
Kolisi won’t be alone in hoping that Snyman continues his comeback and progresses without any further mishaps like the several that have kept him back, like the ligament injury he sustained in his very first game for Munster back in 2020 and which set in train a sequence of bad luck. Bok coach Jacques Nienaber will also understand Snyman’s value and will be one South African who won’t mind if Snyman shines in a strong Munster effort against the Sharks.
If Snyman is his old self by the time the World Cup squad is chosen in August, Nienaber will have the same formidable quartet of locks in Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert and Snyman that fronted the 2019 charge available for selection. Mostert did well at blindside flank for the Boks after Pieter-Steph du Toit was suspended following a red card against France on the last end of year tour but if Du Toit is available the Japan based utility forward will revert to his primary position.
The Sharks team for the Munster clash will be announced on Friday.