Malcom Marx is the world's best hooker. Why is he not starting?

Fans and pundits who cling to the idea of South African exceptionalism on a rugby field would argue that the Springboks could beat most teams with one hand tied behind their backs. This is less far fetched than it might seem.

Since the final whistle of the 2019 World Cup the world’s best hooker has been on the pitch for just 50.7% of the time for the Springboks. He’s started six of the 27 matches he’s played. He didn’t start a single game against the British & Irish Lions in 2021 and has played fewer minutes than his understudy in three of the past four seasons.

Let’s put jingoism and blinkered biases aside. Malcom Marx is undeniably world class. We can quibble over the title of world’s best hooker – perhaps you think Ireland’s Dan Sheehan or New Zealand’s Dan Coles deserve that title – but we’d be splitting hairs and arguing over taste. Wherever he fits in your pantheon, Marx’s place at the top table is guaranteed.

Since making his debut in 2016, he’s averaged more tries scored (0.4), more break assists (0.3), more line breaks (0.5) and more turnovers won (1.7) per 80 minutes in the Rugby Championship than any other hooker. He also has the best lineout throw percentage with 88% in the competition.

In that same period he’s been the world’s most prolific hooker when it comes to turnovers won and evades the tackle better than any other hooker with a 17% success rate. He’s in the top three for a range of other statistics including carries per game, carry dominance, gainline success and metres per carry. 

He certainly passes the eyeball test as well. From the East Rand region of Gauteng on the edge of Johannesburg, Marx carries himself with a menace that will be instantly recognisable to locals. Hardened in the talent furnace that is King Edward VII School, alma mater of Bryan Habana and Joe van Niekerk, he was seemingly destined to terrorise the tight exchanges around the breakdown at the elite level.

Most coaches would be tempted to use such a potent weapon every chance they got. Especially if that weapon was able to retain much of its sharpness in the relatively gentler Japanese league when not on international duty. After all, Marx has only just turned 29. He’s got plenty more miles left in the tank and plenty more bruises to inflict on opponents.

And yet, Jacques Nienaber has largely kept Marx in reserve. This is a consequence of the Bomb Squad tactic that he inherited from Rassie Erasmus that stacks the bench with heavy hitters and a particularly brutal front row. Some time between the start of the second half and the hour mark, that extra heft is unleashed to either turn the tide or hammer home an advantage. 

Marx started just one game at the 2019 World Cup – the 23-13 defeat to New Zealand in the opening group fixture. After that watched from the sideline as Bongi Mbonambi or Schalk Brits took the field in wins over Italy, Canada, Japan, Wales and England. His contributions made a difference, but even then some observers wondered if the Springboks were getting the best out of their star hooker.

It wasn’t always like this. Before the World Cup Marx started 23 of the 33 games he played. That’s just under 70%. In that time he was on the field for 63% of the time. Since the World Cup he’s started six out of 27 matches which is a touch over 22%. No other nation deliberately fields a weakened starting XV as frequently as the Springboks.

Of course, Mbonambi is no grub. He might be South Africa’s most improved player since he debuted three months before Marx. Since the World Cup Mbonambi has more carries per 80 minutes than Jamie George, has more metres per carry than Ken Owens and has a better lineout throw success rate than Codie Taylor.

He lacks Marx’s threat at the breakdown, and only achieves gainline success with half of his carries, but his contributions can’t be discounted. However, comparing a solid 32-year-old professional with a 29-year-old generational talent is neither fair nor constructive. And sticking with a plan that has worked in the past but now needs recalibration is doing neither of them a favour.

Marx simply has to start against Argentina next week and at least one of the games against Wales and New Zealand as they tune-up for a World Cup defence in France. If only to see what happens. If only to ascertain Mbonambi’s impact from the bench. Will South Africa establish early dominance? Will they miss that extra grunt provided by a revved up Marx? These questions need definitive answers and Nienaber is running out time to find them.

While he’s at it, perhaps Nienaber should consider abandoning the Bomb Squad approach entirely. Just for a few games. We all know how devastating it can be when it works but why not tear up the well-worn playbook and roll the dice on something different? Allow the likes of Marx, RG Snyman and Pieter-Steph du Toit the chance to fully empty the tank before bringing on a substitute. This wouldn’t be a major departure from the current plan that already asks its first XV to give it all they’ve got. 

Marx has been denied that chance. By diminishing his output to cameos he’s forever leaving the field with a little extra to give. His contributions are imposing, but fleeting. Let him loose for the full 80 minutes if he has it in him. 

Of course, this may be the plan after all. Who’s to say if Nienaber hasn’t been playing chess while we’ve been analysing checkers. It could be that Marx and his coaches have been working the long game. Cameos and brief appearances coupled with a prolonged stint in Japan has potentially prolonged his potency. Perhaps his best is yet to come. Isn’t that a frightening thought?