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Marx stresses importance of first scrum

Johannesburg - Lions hooker Malcolm Marx is expecting a tough physical battle when they host the Waratahs in Saturday's Super Rugby semi-finals.

Marx gained 56 metres from five carries and won important turnovers for the Lions during their 40-23 win over the Jaguares in the quarter-finals, even scoring an intercept try.

He is now gearing up for the challenge of facing a side which has made more clean breaks (264) than any other in the competition.

"They will definitely be physical in their approach, but we just have to take it as it comes. We will definitely focus on our game and our approach to the game," he said, as quoted by EWN Sport.

Marx told Netwerk24 that the Lions will be looking to assert their dominance at scrum time.

"The first scrum of the game largely determines how the rest of the match pans out."

The Waratahs fought back from 23-6 down to beat the Highlanders 30-23 in their quarter-final in Sydney but facing the Lions away will be an even tougher test.

According to prop Tom Robertson, they will have to be wary of Marx's threat.

"From a forwards perspective, Malcolm is really a danger-man," he said, according to The Citizen.

"He plays in the front row but he gets around the park like a flanker. He's pretty fit and quite handy with the basics too."

Both coaches will name their respective teams on Thursday, with Saturday's clash at Ellis Park scheduled for 15:05.

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