Marx happy with Bok depth ahead of crucial year

Springbok hooker, Malcolm Marx, believes that the depth in the national rugby team is encouraging as the team prepares for the Rugby Championship in July and the 2023 Rugby World Cup in September and October in France.

Marx is a crucial member of the infamous ‘Bomb Squad’, which was crucial for the Boks in 2019 when they won the World Cup in Japan.

He says the Boks squad can produce more than two world class teams on a good day.

“I think there’s a few more than three or four that can contend. It’s awesome, you get to test yourself against the best players in the world when you’re playing and see where you are and what level you’re at so it’s very exciting and it’s a great challenge at the same time.”

[WATCH] @Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx on the depth in the squad ahead of the #RugbyChampionship & the #RWC2023

The Boks will assemble on Sunday for another camp before the Championship in July. pic.twitter.com/ehJ0a4tFgz

— Ntsako Mkhari (@Ntsako_Mkhari_) June 8, 2023

The Springboks have had two preparation camps in Durban in May this year, with Marx attending both after his club the Kubota Spears won the Japan Rugby League One. The purpose of the camps was to get their on-and-off-field structures in place for the 2023 international season.

The team will once again assemble on Sunday, 11 June, to prepare for their Rugby Championship campaign, which features three matches this season against Australia at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 8 July; New Zealand at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland (Saturday, 15 July), and Argentina at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg (Saturday, 29 July).

Sunday’s camp will feature all Springbok players after some could not join the May camps due to club commitments around the world. Marx says the Springbok management has done well to keep all the players in the know on the plans for the international season.

“It is difficult to try and manage it all, with players all over the world. You get into a Zoon meeting or a Teams meeting and you get to see the coaches and all the players that are there. I think it is important, catching up and seeing what the plans are, how things are gonna work”.

[WATCH] @Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx on how the Boks have been aligning with players in different parts of the world.

The Boks will assemble on Sunday in Pretoria for another camp before the Championship in July. pic.twitter.com/yhTmpBr2Qc

— Ntsako Mkhari (@Ntsako_Mkhari_) June 8, 2023

As far as the World Cup is concerned, South Africa are in Pool B alongside Ireland who are currently the number one ranked team in the world, as well as Scotland, Tonga, and Romania.