Malcolm Marx is doing his best to improve his lineout throwing following a disappointing showing on the Springboks’ end-of-year tour to Europe.
The Bok hooker has enjoyed a fine year that saw him nominated for the 2018 World Rugby Player of the Year award, which was scooped by Ireland’s Johnny Sexton.
However, for all the fine work Marx did in the tight-loose for both the Boks and Lions this year, a problem area of his game remains the lineout. This was especially highlighted in the 12-11 loss to England at Twickenham, where Marx struggled to find his jumpers, and cost the Boks a few attacking opportunities near the England tryline.
‘It’s tough, but first I’ve got to look at myself and obviously that was all my fault, throwing over the jumpers,’ Marx told RugbyPass. ‘It’s hard to adjust in-game and I felt like I was going well at the lineout aside from that, but those three lineouts could have won us the game.
‘It was massive pressure and it’s not easy playing England at Twickenham, but there’s no excuse from me, I’ve got a job to do and obviously that part of the job I didn’t do to the best of my ability.’
‘It was tough, but I’m trying to improve on it each and every day. It’s never something that you can take advantage of and stop training at.
‘You can never train enough, so I’m constantly trying to improve it, but unfortunately, in the game against England, I just didn’t click with the jumpers. I can’t really blame anybody else and I’ve got to look at myself first, because it was entirely my fault.’
Photo: Action Foto Sport/NurPhoto
