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Despite being inconsistent this year, bashing the Waratahs 29-0 one week and losing to the lowly Reds the next, the Lions remain in contention to win the South African conference. Their hopes suffered a massive blow with Malcolm Marx being ruled out for six weeks with a hamstring tear.
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The 23-year-old hooker has been a truly dominant force in Super Rugby this year, from man-handling opposition in defence, damaging runs and causing chaos at the breakdown – this 115kg wrecking ball has become one of the most influential players in the competition, if not the most valuable.
It’s the involvements Marx has that indirectly set the platform for the Lions in the lineouts and the scrums. After overcoming lineout struggles early in his career, he has the second best lineout efficiency in the competition, completing 89% despite throwing more than anyone else. The Lions scrum has also been dominant, earning a high number of penalties through the front row that gets the team easy territory.
Defensively, Marx is a solid tackler but it’s at the breakdown where he provides the most impact. He has five clean steals and 11 forced penalties for a total of 16 turnovers at the breakdown, the most of any player. The next best has nine. He is such an asset over the ball for the Lions that he defends at the back of the lineout like a loose forward. This allows him to be one of the first players to the breakdown, much like Pocock.
It’s no surprise that Marx used to be a flanker as a schoolboy, playing in tight, in a fetcher role. Former Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer suggested he switch to hooker as a 16-year-old and the move has proved a masterstroke – his hybrid skill set is unrivaled in international rugby. New Zealand has a host of dynamic attacking hookers in Dane Coles, Codie Taylor, and the emerging Asafo Aumua, but none have the ability to wreck as much havoc defensively as Marx.
His seven tries are equal first with Akira Ioane for the most by a forward, although most of those come from being at the back of the Lions powerful maul. He has two try assists and another six line breaks which show he is a threat with ball in hand. He doesn’t have the same potency as Ioane with his carries, but performs the job well in close.
His loss will be felt by not just by the Lions, but the Springboks as well – he is clearly the out-and-out selection and has left everyone guessing as to who South Africa can pick as a replacement.
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Marx was a top candidate for MVP in the RugbyPass midseason awards, based on how much he provides the Lions side. A lot of his work indirectly influences the scoreboard, giving the Lions territory and stability at set piece that they may turn into points. The theory was without him, they a lot of these opportunities could vanish. That theory will be tested over the next three weeks before the June international break.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
I still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
21 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
21 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
21 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
21 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
21 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
21 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
21 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
21 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
21 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
91 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
2 Go to comments