Mbombela - A teddy bear off the field but a beast on it is how Siya Kolisi described his Springbok teammate Malcolm Marx in the build-up to the hooker’s 50th Test milestone, and this is how it proved to be when the All Blacks were put to the sword at the Mbombela Stadium.
Marx produced one of the great Springbok performances in a scorching 55 minutes that was an irresistible cocktail of relentless ball stealing, muscular surges with ball in hand, savage tackling and precise lineout throwing.
Marx was a human wrecking ball, but after the 26-10 victory he was modesty personified, deflecting praise of him towards his teammates.
“If any of us played well on the pitch it is because of the unbelievable preparation that was done in our camp after the last Test against Wales,” said Marx after displaying the form that had him shortlisted for World Player of the Year in 2018.
“The guys who are not in the 23 work very hard behind the scenes … the prep and pictures they give us contribute a heck of a lot to making us aware of what is going to come at us throughout the game,” Marx explained.
“It is not just a 23-man effort, it is a full squad effort, everyone is working hard to prep the guys who will be on the field to play to the best of their ability.”
Even when was asked about his ruthless poaching of the ball at the breakdown, Marx shared the praise with his teammates.
“It doesn’t just happen, it doesn’t come naturally,” he said of the turnovers he won. “We work on those things during the week, and it is about the guys around me putting me in the position to make the steal.
“There would have been a teammate who first made the tackle and then there is the hard work from others so I can get in over the ball. It is hardly a case of an individual just stealing the ball.”
Marx is modest indeed, so perhaps we should leave it to his coach to sum up his performance.
“I thought he was outstanding, and that is Malcolm,” Jacques Nienaber said. “He amplifies what a Springbok should be. He is a warrior and guy who had to work hard to get to where he is and I have worked with him since he was at Under-20 level (when he a flank).
“That was in 2014 and it is phenomenal to see the player he is now This milestone game for him is exactly that — a milestone. And hopefully, it will set him up now for the road ahead and is the road to another 50 Test matches.”
IOL Sport