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Japan Rugby League One

Kubota Spears have named an All Black as Malcolm Marx's replacement

By Liam Heagney

01 Nov 2023

(Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

Monday’s confirmation that Malcolm Marx has withdrawn from the Kubota Spears team for the 2023/24 Japanese Rugby League One season has been followed by the swift naming of his replacement – All Blacks hooker Dane Coles.

Marx was part of the Spears team last May that won the club’s first-ever piece of silverware when they became the second team to win the Japan Rugby League One trophy when beating Saitama Wild Knights 17-15 at Tokyo’s National Stadium.

The plan was for the Springboks hooker to return to the club for the upcoming season after the completion of the Rugby World Cup.

WATCH as injured players Malcolm Marx and Makazola Mapimpi rejoin their Springbok teammates

However, after featuring in their opening pool win over Scotland, he suffered a serious knee injury in training ahead of the clash with Romania and was replaced in the squad by fly-half Handre Pollard.

That forced Marx to head home to South Africa but he was in France last week for the final and was still on crutches when attending the match against the All Blacks and the following night’s World Rugby 2023 awards ceremony.

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In a video message released on Monday, Marx, who is contracted until the end of the 2025 season, said: “Unfortunately, due to my injury, I won’t be able to play next season but I will be back for the following season, hopefully. Please carry on your amazing support towards the team. The team and everybody really appreciate it.”

With a spot to fill on their roster, the Spears have announced the signing of Coles, who played three World Cup matches for the All Blacks off the bench.

A statement read: “We are pleased to announce that Dane Coles has joined Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay as an additional player for the 2023/24 season. Dane Coles is expected to join the team on December 12.”

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Comments

2 Comments

Jon 385 days ago

Awful luck for Marx - heal up

Arthos 385 days ago

Losing the best hooker in the world in Marx obviously a huge loss for any team.. but Dan Coles is excellent as well, so well done to Kubota Spears for securing a really quality replacement. Coles has a wonderful breadth of skills

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Comments on RugbyPass

Bull Shark 6 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

I find Ben Smith to be an emotionally driven hysteric. So I question everything he writes.

He launched into the year about the ABs being back this year. For a "journalist" his opinions are based on the flavour of the month.

He's at least gone quiet about how sh1t the boks actually are. Although I suspect he's working on an outrageous article to that effect as we speak, to drive engagement after the end of the Autumn series, as we'll all be taking a break until the 6N.

22 Go to comments

Chesterfield 8 minutes ago

Michael Hooper reacts to Scott Barrett’s controversial late-game call

The dominant pack should be enforcing their superiority with maximum points and the psychological advantage of taking the lead.

You don’t get that by saying we’ll settle for three and try again you get it by scoring seven and trying again. Doesn’t come off every time?

No.

But if you’ve asserted dominance letting the opposition off and not trying to build a double score difference is wrong minded.

All blacks have traditionally played to build the unassailable lead not meekly win a single point victory.

11 Go to comments

Arnold 11 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

Aaah. Ben Smith. Ever the unbiased, objective rugby scribe......NOT.

Unable to give credit where it's due, other than for the ABs, especially when it comes to the Boks. His contempt for them is tangible. If you want to " Get Real" about these ABs Ben, consider when they last beat the Boks??? For us Bok fans, beating the ABs is the only true measure.

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Reader76 29 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

"they [All Blacks] are nuggety and resourceful and don’t wilt. They are prepared to win the hard way, accumulating points by any means necessary."

Sounds like you're describing your arch-nemesis Ben 😁

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CM 33 minutes ago

'Steve Borthwick hung his troops out to dry - he should take some blame'

This article only shows a part of SBs failings as England Coach. Firstly his reputation st Leicester was false, his SA and Welsh players won the matches not his coaching prowess. He has Wigglesworth as attack coach, someone who rarely attacked when playing. His player selection is awful, ignoring form players and sticking with failed internationals. He picks players that he knows and will be easy to manage for him. What on earth is Slade doing when even for Exeter he does not make line breaks with steppping, pace or guile, why on earth are Cole,George,Steward,Ford,Iseweke and a few other anywhere near the Team. Borthwick is awful as Head Coach of England.

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Mzilikazi 34 minutes ago

Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

Good to be writing about a WB team that has beaten two 6 N sides in successive weeks, Brett.

Lolesio indeed is looking very comfortable under Schmidt coaching. He must feel as confident now as he was feeling in his spell at Toulon last year. It will be interesting to see how he does against Finn Russell.

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J Marc 56 minutes ago

'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Your unterstanding of the relation FFR LNR, is far better than the one in the article. For Meafou, there is an article on Skelton saying he is totally indispensable in the australian game.

In France they are often compared, and french game is often, but not always ,based on this kind of number 5. But , there are a lot of kind of play in France and in the world, and it's a blessing, because otherwise, the game would be boring.

On my other post ,which you replied, my intention was to explain with some historics facts the main importance, in France, of the championship.

But ,once again, I would prefer 3 games in NZ , with the better french players.

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Ninjin 1 hour ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

I said before the November tests that the AB's should go smash some Nh teams to find their feet and it seems that is just what they did bar France. Could have should have always sucks. Better to look to the future.

22 Go to comments