Marx powers through Dublin Test to claim Player of the Year

MALCOLM Marx must have approached Saturday’s clash - his 87th Test for South Africa — against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin with plenty of thoughts running through his mind.

- LEIGHTON KOOPMAN

This was, after all, the same Irish team that split a series with the Springboks on South African soil last year — winning in Durban after losing in Pretoria. It was also the same opponent against whom Marx suffered one of the worst injuries of his career: a fractured tibia caused by a dangerous croc-roll clearout at the breakdown.

The culprits then were No 8 Caelan Doris and lock James Ryan, with Ryan executing the illegal cleanout while Doris took the yellow card.