Matfield names Marx player of the series and singles out Kolbe in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry

Victor Matfield has named Malcolm Marx his player of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, singling out the Springbok hooker and winger Cheslin Kolbe as the two performers who stood apart from everyone else on the pitch.

Speaking on his Rugby Rivals podcast following South Africa’s series win, the 2007 World Cup winner was unequivocal in his assessment. “I think Malcolm Marx was an outstanding player. Cheslin Kolbe until he got injured. I think the two of them were just head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch. Everything they did was just spot on.”

Marx, the reigning World Rugby Player of the Year, featured in all four Tests — starting three and entering as a first-half substitute in the second. His influence at the breakdown was a recurring theme throughout the series, most notably in Cape Town, and he added two tries in the final two matches to bring his international tally to 29.

Matfield also pointed to how the Springboks’ forward dominance visibly dipped when Marx left the field. “We actually saw in the second half, they struggled a little bit even at scrum time, lineout, when Malcolm went off,” he said. “Look, Deon is fantastic at the breakdown, but he doesn’t quite have that physicality when it comes to scrum and he doesn’t play hooker often, so he was a bit under pressure.”

Kolbe’s contribution was no less striking despite being cut short. The winger played the first two Tests and 10 minutes of the third before breaking his jaw, ruling him out of the contest in the United States. In the time he was available, he added goalkicking to his repertoire, converting all 11 of his attempts across the opening two matches.

Matfield left no doubt about his final verdict. “Malcolm Marx just standing up. He was World Rugby Player of the Year last year and he just keeps delivering every weekend — at the breakdown, carry, at the back of a maul, making the right decisions. So for the series it’s definitely Malcolm Marx.”