Marx warns Springboks not to rely on record All Blacks rout ahead of Ellis Park showdown

Malcolm Marx has called on the Springboks to forget their record 43-10 victory over the All Blacks in Wellington last September, warning that South Africa’s 12-Test winning run counts for nothing when the two sides meet at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday in the opening match of the Greatest Rivalry Test series.

The reigning World Rugby player of the year, who started at hooker during last year’s historic humbling of New Zealand — their biggest ever defeat — was clear that the result carries no psychological currency this weekend. “I definitely don’t think we have the edge because of last year,” Marx told the media. “That’s in the past and we’ve got to deal with what is now in front of us. We can’t rely on what happened in the past to take us through this game. We’ve got to make sure that we rely on all the work over the last couple of weeks to give us the best chance on the weekend.”

Much has shifted in New Zealand rugby since that Wellington rout. Scott Robertson, who was head coach at the time, has since been dismissed, with Dave Rennie taking charge of the All Blacks. New Zealand have gone unbeaten across their three Tests under Rennie, and Marx is under no illusions about the threat they pose. “We know the All Blacks will come at us guns blazing, and we’ve worked extremely hard,” he said.

Scrum-half Grant Williams, who came off the bench in Wellington last year after starting the previous week’s loss at Eden Park, echoed his team-mate’s outlook. Williams is among several contenders for the No.9 jersey in Johannesburg and is focused squarely on the task ahead. “I just remember the win, but it was a whole different week, with a completely different mentality going into the game,” he said. “The All Blacks will come out on Saturday guns blazing, but whoever is selected for the weekend will try to front up and make sure we represent South Africa really well.”

Rassie Erasmus’ world champions will take to the field at Ellis Park with home advantage and a formidable winning streak behind them, but Marx’s message is unambiguous: the Springboks must earn this one from scratch.