Snyman hungry for action
December 19, 2000

Former Springbok centre Andre Snyman is confident he will soon be back to his elusive best and is hoping for a return to rugby as early as February.

The Natal midfielder suffered two debilitating knocks in less than a year when he broke both his ankles. The first happened when he dived over to score a try against the All Blacks during a Tri-Nations match in August last year, while he broke the other in a curtain-raiser before a Stormers/Sharks Super 12 encounter in May this year.

But after months of painful surgery, the 27-year-old is hungry to return and hopes to be ready for the Super 12. "I'm running at full pace," he told Die Rapport. "I haven't tried playing any contact rugby as such, but that will come with time.

"My ankle was held together by screws, pins and wire, but everything is back to normal now. My doctor is happy with my progress and he believes the more I run, the more the confidence will come back. There's always the danger to rest the one leg when you pick up a serious injury, but I can't do it because I injured both."

Sharks coach Rudolf Straeuli has welcomed the news of Snyman's return, but has warned the player not to rush back just for the sake of it. "It takes a long time to get back to your best again," he said. "I've told Andre not to rush it and I haven't set him a target either. A fit Andre Snyman means more to me than a guy who is rushing it and playing at 80 per cent."

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