Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx will have a debutant tighthead prop next to him in the set scrums on Saturday against Wales, but history tells him that Carlu Sadie will do just fine.
Marx and Sadie played together as young men, and Marx was impressed with the stocky scrummager.
“Fortunately enough, I scrummed with Carlu years ago when we were both at the Lions, in 2018 and 2019,” Marx said. “I know what he can do. We obviously have not played together for a while, so we have been testing a few things and seeing what works best, but I recall how strong he is.”
Sadie’s strength and scrumming prowess are highly rated in Europe, where the 29-year-old has found a home in the French Top 14 after stints in South Africa at the Stormers, Lions, and Sharks.
“Carlu had a great season at Bordeaux (they won the Champions Cup),” Marx said of Sadie, who has 63 caps for the brilliant French team. “He was the cornerstone of their scrum. I know he is looking forward to showing what he can do on Saturday.
Besides winning the game on Saturday, there are objectives the Boks would like to achieve after beating England and Scotland with bonus points for a strong start to the Nations Championship.
“There is always room for improvement,” Marx said. “Regardless of how the game goes, whether you think you have had the perfect game or not, the game of rugby will always have mistakes. And last week against Scotland there were quite a few small things that we did not get right. There were also some things from the England match that still need polish.”
But Marx says the Boks are primarily focused on Wales.
“We know how physical they can be and what a threat they are. So this week is about working on those one or two-percenters to get better for this weekend.
“Wales are a tough side, regardless of their previous results,” Marx added. “They are an extremely physical side and are well drilled.
“They have a confrontational forward pack. Every time we have played them, it has been a tough battle. They don’t go away. It will take a full 80-minute performance this weekend.”
Marx first played against Wales ten years ago, in 2016, with the Boks losing in Cardiff.
“They are the same physical Wales side they have always been since I first played them.
“We prepare the same for every single Test regardless of who we are playing. Everyone is looking forward to the challenge, knowing the physicality of the challenge and game plan they bring.”
Marx played down the World Rugby Player of the Year Award that he won last year.
“That was a while ago, and I can’t allow what happened last year to spill into this year,” he said. “I have to continue to work hard and make sure I am diligent in my preparation.
“The award was an honour and a privilege, and as I said last year, none of that stuff is achieved without the environment created by the coaching staff and my teammates.”
