TALKING POINTS | Marx, muscle and mastery: Lessons from the Springboks’ Dublin triumph

Whenever the Springboks play, drama is guaranteed. Their 24–13 defeat of Ireland was no exception as the South Africans continue to put space between themselves and the rest of the rugby world.

Here, Mike Greenaway breaks down five key talking points from the historic victory.

Set scrum terror

Hats off to Bok scrum coach Daan Human, famous for the little hats he always wears. He has been working with the Springbok forwards for eight years, and just when you think they cannot get more brutal in the scrums, Oom Daan ratchets up the ferocity. The Irish front row boasted British and Irish Lions in Tadhg Furlong, Dan Sheehan and Andrew Porter, but they were left with faces as red as the Lions jersey as they were routinely shunted backwards. The dominance is reflected in this statistic: in sixteen scrum feeds, the Boks won eight penalties and the Irish suffered two yellow cards.

Sacha’s lucky day

Maybe referee Matthew Carley had been reading the South African media’s rants on red cards and did not want to invoke further ire, because Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s reckless shoulder charge on wing Tommy O’Brien had trouble written all over it. The flyhalf did not attempt to wrap and made head-high contact. Given what happened to Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager, it was odd that Feinberg-Mngomezulu received only a penalty. The Boks will take it, though, given the heavy-handed treatment they have suffered in the past.

No saving James Ryan

Speaking of red cards, Ryan’s thuggish assault on Malcolm Marx is exactly what the red card is for. He was yellow-carded for his premeditated thuggery in throwing himself at the prone Springbok hooker. He will have a disciplinary hearing, and surely he cannot escape a hefty suspension. It was appalling that his yellow card was not upgraded to red during the game. Ryan also has a record — 18 months ago, he charged into a ruck in the Durban Test and broke Marx’s shin bone.

Marx the machine

What a memorable day for the best player on the planet in 2025. He was phenomenal in this match and was easily the Player of the Match. He had barely put that award down in the change room when Victor Matfield — one of the judges for the World Rugby Player of the Year award — handed him the most prized gong in the game. The reaction of Marx’s cheering teammates said it all, as they swamped him in a moving show of respect and affection.

Boks are box office

At the end of the Rugby Championship, the Boks had the grudging respect of the rugby world, but four victories into their November tour, that has given way to sheer admiration.

Following on from their massacre of the All Blacks in Wellington, the Boks beat France with 14 men, and a week later, a 14-man B team was too strong for Italy. Even the Boks’ harshest critics — from Aussie Matt Williams to Kiwi John Kirwan — are sweetly singing their praises.

Their dominance in 2025 is also reflected in their lofty position on the World Rugby rankings, where they have stretched their lead at the top.