Boks suffer hammer blow with Malcolm Marx ruled out of Rugby World Cup

In Toulon

Malcolm Marx's Rugby World Cup campaign has come to an end after he suffered a knee injury at the Springboks' training session in Toulon on Wednesday.

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber grimly mentioned at the same night's team announcement press conference for Sunday's game against Romania that the influential hooker was laid low by a knock.

News24 understands that Marx tore an anterior cruciate ligament and went for a scan that returned a diagnosis detrimental enough to rule him out for the rest of the tournament.

While the Boks have invested in their depth, the loss of Marx is a massive blow to the team, especially ahead of the 23 September game against Ireland in Paris, where their full-strength pack will be required.

Marx is the fourth Bok player to be injured this year, the second at this year's World Cup and first to be ruled out.

Lock Eben Etzebeth is touch-and-go for the Ireland game after suffering a shoulder injury during last week's 18-3 win against Scotland in Marseille.

Etzebeth didn't take part in Tuesday's training session, but Nienaber said Etzebeth ran with the team on Wednesday.

With the Springboks having the luxury of an enlarged 33-man squad in France for the international showpiece, and sufficient cover at hooker within the squad, he will not be replaced in the squad at this stage.

"First and foremost, we are extremely disappointed for Malcolm, and we wish him all the best in his recovery," Nienaber said in a statement.

"He's been working very hard to be in the best form possible for the tournament, and it's tragic that his campaign has ended this way. As a team we will remain in contact with him, as we do with all injured players such as Lukhanyo (Am), Handre (Pollard) and Lood (de Jager), and