Springboks: Rassie Erasmus confirms FOUR fresh injuries including Malcolm Marx after croc roll incident
Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx looks on.
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has been dealt a quadruple injury blow ahead of the Rugby Championship, which includes a worrying update on Malcolm Marx.
Hooker Marx was injured in the second Test against Ireland after being croc-rolled during a clear-out from number eight Caelan Doris and second-row James Ryan.
Doris was yellow-carded following the incident, but many believed it was Ryan who should have been the punished party after he was more prominent with the roll.
Tibia fracture
Ultimately Marx battled on for the last 33 minutes of the Durban clash, but it has now been revealed by head coach Erasmus that the hooker sustained a “tibia fracture”.
There hasn’t been a timeframe given on the front-rower’s return but it’s likely to be a length spell on the sidelines, which would see him miss the Rugby Championship.
Erasmus also provided a lengthy injury list when speaking to the media on Tuesday, with second-row Franco Mostert ruled out for six weeks because of a broken leg.
Blindside flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit is set to miss the Boks‘ first game of the Rugby Championship, against the Wallabies, after being ruled out for four to six weeks.
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Elsewhere, there was further bad news for Edwill van der Merwe, who picked up an injury while on Currie Cup duty with the Lions. The in-form wing is out for six weeks.
One positive from the otherwise gloomy update from coach Erasmus ahead of their Portugal fixture is that centre/wing Canan Moodie could return to training next week.
Following the Os Lobos meeting, South Africa will prepare to face Australia in Brisbane on August 10 and then again in Perth on August 17 in the 2024 Rugby Championship.
Back-to-back home Tests with the All Blacks then follow in Johannesburg and Cape Town before they face off against Argentina on September 21 and September 28.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Portugal game, head coach Erasmus is expecting a difficult contest against one of the success stories of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
“They proved that they could compete successfully against some of the top teams in the world and we believe they will lift their game even more this weekend given the magnitude of facing the Springboks,” he said of their opponents in Bloemfontein.
“This occasion will really excite them, and they’ll certainly give everything to make a statement for the Tier Two nations, so we have to deliver a top-quality performance to get a result.
“This match is also an opportunity for us to work on what went wrong last week and finish the Castle Lager Incoming Series on a high note, so we will treat them and the occasion with the respect it deserves.
“There are no easy games in Test rugby, and for us personally, it’s important to live up to our standards and build momentum going into the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.”
