Both also agreed that there may still be a “revenge” factor to the game from the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final – won by a single point by the Boks – which has been a big talking point in France.
“To be honest with you, I would imagine it’s still there,” said Jones on Tuesday.
“It was such a significant game that I don’t think it goes away easily. A lot of that niggle is on the field, and it comes back to the intensity. But most of it stops there.
“Fabien Galthié (France head coach) is one of the first coaches from outside Ireland that I got to know. He came over and visited myself, Rassie (Erasmus) and Jacques (Nienaber) when we were at Munster, and Raphaël Ibañez (their team manager) did the same.
“So, there are some good relationships off the field, but when we’re on the field, we want to win, and we have no doubt they want to as well, given the results of the last one or two games.”
Marx, who missed out on most of the Rugby World Cup in 2023 due to a serious injury, said: “I speak on behalf of myself, but we’ve had a few narrow wins against them, and in 2023 they obviously felt they should have been in the World Cup final, which does leave a bit of a scar.
“But if that’s their mentality, that’s their choice. We can only control the way we prepare and the way we approach a game, and that’s to focus on ourselves in the best possible way with the pictures we’ve seen throughout the week.”
Zooming in on what they expected from the French this weekend, Jones said: “They put us under pressure last year with a lot of attacking-style kicks, trying to exploit as much space as they could in behind us, and with a different style, and a bit of unpredictability that came with that. So, we’re expecting a tactical element we may not have seen.
“This contest has traditionally been very close and very enthralling to watch because of the intensity of the collisions and the athletes playing against each other.
“But both teams have also had tactical battles, which we’ve learned from, and I’m sure they’ve learned from us, so we’re definitely anticipating some tactical nuances we haven’t seen yet, and it could be in the form of some kicking.”
Marx shrugged off the talk about him possibly being a marked man after being named the World Rugby and SA Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year for 2025: “You must always be fit week in and week out, and be at your best regardless of how many years you’ve been here (with the Boks).
“I can’t rely on things I did last year or the year before to get me through now. It still takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and in this group of players and management, everybody’s equal.
“It doesn't matter what you’ve won or achieved, everybody is treated exactly the same, so it doesn’t add extra pressure, because we’ve got another big challenge ahead this weekend and we cannot rely on previous results to pull us through this week. I still have to work hard and make sure I contribute in the best way I can.
“That said, it’s still a great honour, and it’s always a dream every single year to represent my country. It’s a really nice environment to be a part of, and it’s still a big part of my life.
Asked about his decision to sign with the Vodacom Bulls, Marx said: “The reason for moving back to South Africa is my family. I’ve been away from home for years now, and coming back was basically to spend more time with them.”
The match kicks off at 22h10 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Source: Original report at SA Rugby.
