KEY MAN: Malcolm in the middle: How Marx could swing key battles in SA’s favour

Malcolm Marx, 2025 World Rugby Player of the Year, will have a game-shaping role to play at the set pieces and breakdowns when the Springboks tackle the All Blacks in the first Test at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Much has been said about the Springboks and All Blacks’ contrasting styles of play in the lead-up to the Greatest Rivalry Test series, which will be staged over the next four weeks.

The Boks will look to harness the power of their set piece when they travel to Ellis Park on Saturday, while the All Blacks will avoid these contests and attempt to play a less structured game.

With all of the above in mind, both coaches have called on first Test referee Matthew Carley to monitor the opposition for tactics that threaten to derail some of their best-laid plans.

Rassie Erasmus has highlighted the All Blacks’ “brutal” breakdown and maul tactics, which have the potential to depower the more fancied Bok pack.

Meanwhile, All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has accused the South Africans of slowing the game down in recent matches.

While Carley will have an important job to do at Ellis Park, the contest is likely to be shaped by the players – and one player in particular.

Malcolm Marx won the 2025 World Rugby Player of the Year award following a series of influential performances across a monumental season for South Africa.

The 32-year-old hooker will have a key role to play this Saturday, and across the four-Test series.

Marx’s ability to stall an opposition attack via a well-timed steal at the breakdown has become something of a trademark – and may keep a dangerous All Blacks side in check at Ellis Park.

So much has been said about the Boks’ dominant scrum and maul in recent times, and while the props and locks have received due plaudits, less has been made of Marx’s crucial contributions.

The Boks can’t set a maul if Marx fails to find his jumpers, and they can’t dominate a scrum unless their front-row captain relays the referee’s instructions to the rest of the pack and makes the necessary technical adjustments ahead of the next set.

Recent results and performances would suggest that the Boks have got this down to a fine art, and one can understand why they are favourites to win the set-piece battles this weekend.

The Boks will go into the opening clash of the Greatest Rivalry with a clear advantage, having won five of the past six Tests against New Zealand, and having bossed the All Blacks pack in many of those contests.