The Springboks are bracing themselves for a scrum onslaught from the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday, but won’t be relying on past success to get the better of their opponents.
According to veteran hooker Malcolm Marx, they’ve prepared for what’s coming their way in the opening Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry and they’ll do everything in their power to start the four-match series with a victory in Johannesburg.
While he was coy on saying too much ahead of the clash, the 32-year-old knows it will be important to get off to a good start. The Boks absolutely dominated New Zealand in the clashes last year at scrum-time, but Marx believes they are in for a battle.
“Last year is the past and we have to deal with what’s in front of us,” Marx said.
“We know the All Blacks will come after us at scrum time and we are working hard at it, but so are they. We can’t rely on the past to take us through the game. We have to ensure our work over the last couple of weeks has been done to give us the best chance this weekend.”
While the teams are yet to be announced, Marx will likely start for the world champions and he is set to face some top players in Codie Taylor and Samisoni Taukei’aho in the All Blacks jersey. Whether in the scrums, at the breakdown or with the ball in hand, he believes they will provide a stern challenge.
“They are all explosive, good with the ball in hand and in defence and obviously great at set-piece. So, I think it’ll be a great challenge for our hookers on the weekend. All three of them are really good. If given a shot, I am looking forward to the opportunity.
“The build-up hasn’t been more intense, but we always say we treat each Test match the same and the magnitude of what this series is. We know how big this weekend will be and we try to prepare accordingly.
“I don’t think I will tell you how we will try and stay on top of things, but we are working hard at it. We are doing plenty of analysis to see where we can improve from previous games and to look at the threats that they bring, like at the breakdown and to see if there are opportunities for us as well. We worked really hard and we will see how the weekend goes.”
