With the Greatest Rivalry series locked at 1-1 heading into Saturday's third Test at FNB Stadium, Israel Dagg has put Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx at the top of his concern list. Speaking on the Behind the Ruck podcast, Dagg acknowledged the All Blacks were bullied up front in the first Test but sees genuine improvement in their scrum in Cape Town. His worry now is the Boks' carrying threat — specifically Marx in the loose, where Dagg notes he turned the ball over three times in Test Two — and Nche's sheer physicality at the coalface. Dagg's read is that New Zealand can compete if they avoid giving Marx clear air, but he's under no illusions about the threat the Bok forward pack poses on a big occasion.
AnalysisSpringboksPlanet Rugby
Israel Dagg flags Nche and Marx as the All Blacks' biggest danger men in Soweto
Dagg singles out Nche and Marx as the All Blacks' primary physical threat in Saturday's series decider, while crediting New Zealand's scrum improvement in Cape Town as reason for cautious optimism.
- Malcolm Marx
- New Zealand
- Springboks
- FNB Stadium
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