In the aftermath of a confrontational Test against Ireland in Durban, Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx has been diagnosed with a broken leg and may be set for an extended stint on the sidelines.

Rassie Erasmus today delivered a sobering update following the second Test against Ireland, naming Marx on a lengthy Bok injury list that also includes Franco Mostert and Pieter-Steph du Toit.

The Bok coach said that Marx had suffered ‘a little bit of a tibia fracture’ and expected him to be out for up to six weeks, but it is understood that a fractured tibia typically takes upwards of three months to heal.

“Franco is out for six weeks, he broke his leg,” Erasmus said. “Malcolm, I just heard now, he’s got a little bit of tibia fracture, when he got injured.

“Edwill is out for six weeks and Pieter-Steph is out for four to six weeks. But, all will be ready for the second Test of the Rugby Championship, apart [from] the guys who are out for six weeks.”

Marx suffered the injury in the second half of the Test against Ireland, during a horrific croc roll that earned captain Caelan Doris a yellow card. The Bok hooker limped his way through the rest of the half, having replaced Bongi Mbonambi in the 46th minute.

It comes as Marx only recently returned from a long-term knee ligament injury that he suffered in a freak training accident during the 2023 Rugby World Cup, that kept him out for a full season.

The Springboks take on the Wallabies in Brisbane on August 10 and in Perth on August 17, leaving the injured players with just three weeks to prove their fitness and embark on the tour of Australia.