The unheralded Frans Malherbe’s panda-like appearance belies one of the world’s great scrum anchors and a Springbok with an unbelievable work rate on defence.
Malherbe, the only tighthead prop included in SA Rugby magazine’s top 30 Springboks since 1995, has proven to be worth his weight in gold since debuting in the Bok scrum in 2013 and he will bring up his 50th Test cap on Saturday.
A technical scrum master, Malherbe works like an anaconda, slowly winding and bending his opponent before suffocating the life out of him at the set piece.
He has been SA’s first-choice tighthead in the Rassie Erasmus era, starting in the 2019 World Cup final and the last two Tests of the 2021 Lions series.
While you won’t find Malherbe on advertising billboards, his value to the Bok cause is immense.
“Frans’ work ethic is fantastic and although he is quiet off the field, he certainly makes his presence felt on the field,” said Jacques Nienaber, with Malherbe poised to reach his milestone against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday in the Rugby Championship.
“We are very proud of Frans, and it is up to the team to make it a memorable occasion for him by giving their all to register a victory.”
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