Lions hooker Malcolm Marx is relishing the prospect of facing an All Blacks-laden pack in the Super Rugby final at Ellis Park on Saturday. JON CARDINELLI reports.
A South African side versus a New Zealand team in a final played in front of 61,500 fans at Ellis Park. Does it get any better than that?
Twenty-two years ago, the Springboks battled the All Blacks in a World Cup final played at this venue. This Saturday, the Lions will play the Crusaders in the Super Rugby decider.
The colour of the jerseys will differ from those of the Boks and All Blacks. The game will go down in history as a Super Rugby fixture rather than a Test. The physicality and intensity of this contest, however, may rival that of a classic Boks versus All Blacks international.
The Lions and Crusaders have led the way this season. It should encourage both sets of fans to note that both the Lions and Crusaders’ set-piece stats are up there with the very best in the tournament.
Teams with weak packs don’t win trophies. Both the Lions and the Crusaders look well-placed to stake a claim for the win and ultimately the Super Rugby title.
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Lions coach Johan Ackermann could field four Boks in his starting pack this Saturday. Opposite number Scott Robertson could pick seven All Blacks forwards to start, as well as a couple more on the bench. On that basis, some might say that the Lions look set for a new and sterner examination of their collective and individual abilities.
Bok hooker Malcolm Marx says that the Lions wouldn’t have it any other way. The Johannesburg-based side has delivered an outstanding performance at the scrums and lineouts over the course of the season. They certainly passed the set-piece test against the Hurricanes in last week’s semi-final. Marx himself has improved a great deal over the past 12 months, and hopes to finish the Super Rugby campaign on a high.
‘Look, I won’t take anything for granted. The Lions team will be announced later this week [on Thursday] and hopefully I will be included,’ the Bok hooker told SARugbymag.co.za. ‘But would I love the chance to face those All Blacks players? Of course I would.
‘Some of those guys are part of the best international team in the world. They have been part of teams that have won various trophies and titles. I have a lot of respect for that team and for the individuals.
‘This is the challenge you want as a player, though. You want to measure yourself against the best.’
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The Lions went down 20-3 to the Hurricanes in last year’s final. This year, however, Ackermann’s charges have earned the right to host the decider, and a New Zealand side will be forced to travel extensively in the buildup.
Marx believes that home-ground advantage, as well as the dry conditions of the highveld, will suit the Lions. At the same time, he is wary of the Crusaders’ ability to adapt.
‘Last year’s final was tough,’ he said. ‘We had to travel to Wellington and play in the worst conditions I have ever experienced. That’s no excuse, though, as the Hurricanes had to play in the same conditions, too.
‘It’s good to know that we’ll be playing a final in front of our home crowd. We won’t have to worry about the travel factor. That said, we’re up against a side that travels very well. They know how to manage that, coming all the way from New Zealand and then adjusting to conditions in the week leading up to a big game in South Africa. We aren’t expecting any favours.’
The Lions hammered the Hurricanes in the second half of the semi-final last Saturday. Some might be inclined to believe that they are gathering momentum and will peak in the decider.
Marx said that the team has already put that performance behind them.
‘The first 20 minutes of that game didn’t go our way, but we played far better in the second half. That’s done and dusted, though. It doesn’t count. We will need to start again when we face the Crusaders.’
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Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
