Mbonambi impressed by full jacket showings from Marx, ready to make Bok impact from bench

In Durban

Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi has been more than chuffed with Malcolm Marx's contributions while he's recovered from a knee injury.

Marx was often benching for Mbonambi, but when Mbonambi sustained a knee injury in the build-up to the second All Black Test at the Ellis Park on 13 August, Marx stepped up and more than filled his void.

In Mbonambi's absence, Marx has been starting and with some success, with the Boks recording consecutive wins against Australia and Argentina that saw them bounce back from two losses against the All Blacks in Johannesburg and the Wallabies in Adelaide.

Mbonambi said Marx, who will be starting Saturday's Rugby Championship finale against the Pumas at Kings Park and scored in last week's 36-20 in Buenos Aires, has been world class.

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"Malcolm has been playing very well and the competition in the squad is very tight," Mbonambi said.

"We compete very hard for places in the squad and it's never easy coming back from injury. It's not easy making your way back in."

Mbonambi, who has been training with his knee strapped up this week, said there's pressure on them to deliver a trophy that's generally eluded them.

However, he said the pressure of playing for the Boks was a privilege as compared to what the country is going through from a socio-economic perspective.

"I wouldn't use pressure as the word, I'd look at it as more of a privilege to be included in the squad as South Africans face more pressures out there," Mbonambi said.

"I hope that I do my job well. The knee injury was a freak one and I was really gutted at the time that it happened.

"I've done my rehab and returned to training. I'm