When Schalk Burger speaks, the rugby world listens, and this week he's dropped a spicy meatball on our plates: Malcolm Marx, the Springboks' breakdown beast, has got a bullseye on his back. This revelation came hot on the heels of James Ryan's 20-minute timeout for a red card incident against the Boks, stirring up more than just a little controversy.
During a particularly heated Test against Ireland, Ryan collided head-on with Marx, an act that initially earned him a yellow but was later upgraded to a red courtesy of a video review. The whole debacle was the talk of the town, dominating headlines and sparking fiery debates. But Burger suggests there's more to this than just a one-off incident. He believes it's a sign of things to come, with teams targeting Marx as a strategic move.
"Often, you can feel this when you are chasing rucks. So, Malcolm chased the ruck prior to this; you could see there was obviously a target on his back. Ryan wanted to make contact, but didn’t,"
Burger explained on The Verdict. He continued, describing a subsequent ruck where Ryan, seeing Marx, simply sat on the already won ruck, knowing well that Marx might still try to disrupt it. Burger's realistic about the changing nature of the game, noting that what might have been overlooked in the past is now under the microscope in 2025.
"Second ruck after that, he sees Malcolm and that ruck is already won. So, all you can do is really just go sit on top of it, it’s done. Malcolm will probably have a nibble or slow try and slow it down. But I don’t think we can really complain about that [being a red card], back in our days, fine but in 2025, there’s no real mitigation there."
The use of the bunker system for reviewing such incidents received a nod of approval from Burger, who appreciated that it wasn't a straight red, which allowed for a more nuanced decision. The incident and its repercussions highlight a tactical shift in how teams might approach playing against key figures like Marx.
As the rugby landscape evolves, so too does the strategy around it. Burger's insights suggest that the Boks might need to prepare for more focused targeting of their key players as rival teams look to neutralize their threats. It's a chess game on the field, and according to Schalk Burger, the Boks need to be ready to play.
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When Schalk Burger speaks, the rugby world listens, and this week he's dropped a spicy meatball on our plates: Malcolm Marx, the Springboks' breakdown beast, has got a bullseye on his back. This revelation came hot on the heels of James Ryan's 20-minute timeout for a red card incident against the Boks, stirring up more than just a little controversy.
During a particularly heated Test against Ireland, Ryan collided head-on with Marx, an act that initially earned him a yellow but was later upgraded to a red courtesy of a video review. The whole debacle was the talk of the town, dominating headlines and sparking fiery debates. But Burger suggests there's more to this than just a one-off incident. He believes it's a sign of things to come, with teams targeting Marx as a strategic move.
"Often, you can feel this when you are chasing rucks. So, Malcolm chased the ruck prior to this; you could see there was obviously a target on his back. Ryan wanted to make contact, but didn’t,"
Burger explained on The Verdict. He continued, describing a subsequent ruck where Ryan, seeing Marx, simply sat on the already won ruck, knowing well that Marx might still try to disrupt it. Burger's realistic about the changing nature of the game, noting that what might have been overlooked in the past is now under the microscope in 2025.
"Second ruck after that, he sees Malcolm and that ruck is already won. So, all you can do is really just go sit on top of it, it’s done. Malcolm will probably have a nibble or slow try and slow it down. But I don’t think we can really complain about that [being a red card], back in our days, fine but in 2025, there’s no real mitigation there."
The use of the bunker system for reviewing such incidents received a nod of approval from Burger, who appreciated that it wasn't a straight red, which allowed for a more nuanced decision. The incident and its repercussions highlight a tactical shift in how teams might approach playing against key figures like Marx.
As the rugby landscape evolves, so too does the strategy around it. Burger's insights suggest that the Boks might need to prepare for more focused targeting of their key players as rival teams look to neutralize their threats. It's a chess game on the field, and according to Schalk Burger, the Boks need to be ready to play.