Newly crowned World Rugby Player of the Year Malcolm Marx credited the Springboks' character and fight after their 24-13 victory over Ireland in Dublin.
Marx, who received his World Rugby award from former Springbok lock Victor Matfield straight after the game, stated that the Springboks' win was a tough battle against a quality Irish side.
Marx emphasised that the award is not just an individual accolade but a reflection of the collective effort, support, and structure within the team.
Marx became the first front-rower to win the award since Keith Wood in 2001. He is the fourth Springbok to win the prestigious award, following Pieter-Steph du Toit (2019 & 2024), Bryan Habana (2007), and Schalk Burger (2004).
Elaborating on the scrums, Marx said: “It was a tough game and having that many scrums wasn’t pleasing on the neck, but they are a quality side with a quality pack, so obviously, we had to grind it out and apply as much pressure as we could to get the rewards from it.”
“I am very happy with the way the guys fought and the character they showed throughout the last couple of weeks, and especially this week, to come up and get the win.”
Despite having four players sent to the sin bin, Marx commended Ireland's immense character for keeping the Springboks out of their half.
“Ireland did extremely well in the second half to hold us out, and we had a few penalties, but they are a quality side and they showed that on the field.”
“I think the character that they showed was immense,” Marx said. “Having 12 guys on the field and still keeping us out for a good number of minutes just shows the character and how strong a bond they have as a team.”
“We got some good success at the set-piece, but at times when we were down in their half in the second half, we weren’t as successful as we would have liked.”