Paul Kimmage Blasts Munster Forward Over Doping Past

“Take steroids kids, because you’ll get a contract with Munster.”

South African lock Gerbrandt Grobler could finally make his competitive debut for Munster this weekend, after recovering from an ankle injury that has kept him out since pre-season.

The former Racing 92 star could come up against his old club this weekend, but his troubled past has now hit the headlines ahead of the game. The South Africa was banned from rugby for two years in 2015 after a positive test for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone.

The province and head coach Johann van Graan however, are backing Grobler all the way. As far as they are concerned, he’s learnt his lesson and served his ban.

“I believe life is very simple,” said van Graan

“All of us sitting here, everybody in life makes mistakes. I believe life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react to it.

“He served his ban. He’s worked really hard to get back to fitness and then in the warm-up game, which I saw here, he had a big injury and he had to fight his way back.

“Obviously, he wants to achieve a lot of things in his life. He’s such a talented rugby player, so for him personally [he has] a lot to prove. The ban, in my view, is a long time in the past. Like I said, every person on this planet makes mistakes, it’s how we come back from them.

“He’s fought through them really well, I thought, and he’s a quality individual so we wish him well in his journey back.”

Paul Kimmage meanwhile, hasn’t been so forgiving, mocking Munster’s forgiveness of the lock.

What do you think? Should Groblers past remain in the past, and should he be given a second chance?