Malcolm Marx has revealed that a recommendation from Heyneke Meyer was behind his switch from blindside flanker to hooker during his final year at King Edward VII School in Johannesburg — a positional change that has since produced the 2025 World Rugby Player of the Year.
Marx, who has 94 Test caps since debuting against the All Blacks in Christchurch in 2016, was speaking on the Boks Unpacked X The Verdict show after being voted the best hooker in the Springboks Dream XV poll.
The 32-year-old had represented the Golden Lions at U18 Craven Week in 2011 as a blindside flanker before Meyer's influence filtered through to his school coaching staff ahead of the 2012 season. Marx returned to Craven Week that year as a hooker and went on to represent the SA Schools side.
"Our school coach maybe had links to him through rugby or somewhere and he suggested it," Marx explained. "He said, 'Look, you can try it. Obviously, if it doesn't work out, you can always just try and go back to seven or to loose forward.' I just said, 'I've got nothing to lose, let's just give it a go'."
The transition was far from seamless. Marx credits former Springbok and Bulls assistant coach John McFarland — who was serving as defence coach at the time — with helping him develop his lineout throwing. "The throw-ins are so difficult. If you've never thrown a ball before in your life, it's very, very difficult. He would help me on off days and stuff like that. He corrected a lot of the stuff that I was doing wrong."
The scrummaging demands of the front row presented an equally steep learning curve. "I'd be lying if I said I did enjoy the first one, because I really didn't. Especially against a scrum machine — there's a lot of weight on that thing and that thing doesn't move very easily."
Voted the greatest Bok hooker of the modern era by fans, Marx was careful to acknowledge those who came before him. "To be compared against John Smit, Bismarck du Plessis — obviously world-renowned for the way they played — that's something I looked up to. My opinion is those guys were ahead of me in the prior years, so I'm very honoured."
Marx is six caps away from becoming the 13th Springbok to reach 100 Test appearances.