Considered the best hooker on the planet, Malcolm Marx is too good of an all-round threat for the Springboks to not be there from the first whistle, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Marx, one of the original members of the Bomb Squad who helped South Africa win the 2019 World Cup, takes over the No 2 jumper from Bongi Mbonambi for the Rugby Championship finale against Argentina at Ellis Park on Saturday.
He is close to becoming the top try-scorer among forwards in Bok history – needing only two tries, with a current tally of 15 – despite starting only half of his 60 Tests.
It’s an impressive strike rate from the 29-year-old, who averages 52 minutes per Test.
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In his TimesLIVE column, Keohane argues that Marx must start for the Boks, with Mbonambi as his replacement, as the former’s potential extended game time could significantly benefit SA – possibly in another World Cup final this year.
“I appreciate why Rassie Erasmus fashioned the shift in Marx’s role during the 2019 World Cup, and it added a dimension that suffocated opponents in the final 30 minutes of the match,” he writes. “But four years on, I’d want Marx there from the first whistle.
“His try-scoring strike rate gets a lot of attention, but it is among the less relevant Marx statistics, as he would be the first to acknowledge that he is a try-scoring beneficiary of the attacking Springboks lineout maul.
“The statistic that is the most telling is how many turnovers Marx forces and what doesn’t get enough airtime, perhaps because it is down to interpretation and there isn’t a definite number, is just how much opposition ball he slows down.
“Marx is as good as any specialist loose-forward fetcher over the ball, and comfortably No 1 in the No 2 jersey.”
The Boks will make light work of Argentina when the two sides meet in the Rugby Championship on Saturday, according to @mark_keohane and Zels. pic.twitter.com/xEbw1fQZ5o
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) July 27, 2023
Photo: @Springboks/Twitter