South Africa’s campaign to defend their Rugby World Cup title has been dealt a significant setback as star hooker Malcolm Marx has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury sustained during a training session on Wednesday. Marx’s absence from Sunday’s second Pool B match against Romania is confirmed, but concerns loom over his availability for the remainder of the tournament in France.
While South African team officials have not disclosed the exact nature of Marx’s injury, they have assured that an update on his fitness will be provided in the coming days. This injury poses a particularly daunting challenge for the Springboks as they lack a third specialist hooker in their squad.
The Springboks’ squad currently relies on the expertise of two specialist hookers, Malcolm Marx and Bongi Mbonambi. In Marx’s absence, Mbonambi is set to take on the crucial role in the upcoming match against Romania. To provide cover for the position, the team has designated regular loose forwards Deon Fourie and Marco van Staden, with Joseph Dweba of the Stormers placed on standby since the squad’s announcement last month.
The news of Marx’s injury compounds South Africa’s worries, as they are already coping with another key player’s injury concerns. Lock Eben Etzebeth sustained a shoulder issue during last weekend’s 18-3 victory over Scotland. Springboks director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, has stated that Etzebeth is expected to be out of action for seven to 10 days but should recover in time for the pivotal group clash against world number one Ireland at Stade de France on September 23rd.
