Springbok duo Faf de Klerk and Malcolm Marx have both scored nominations for the World Rugby Player of the Year award.

The two former Lions teammates have been an integral part of a resurgent Bok outfit in 2018, as the men in green and gold scored a home series win against England in June, before placing a second-place finish in the Rugby Championship, defeating world champions New Zealand in their own backyard in the process.

De Klerk and Marx will compete for the prestigious honour alongside Kiwis, Beauden Barrett and Rieko Ioane, as well as Irish flyhalf Johnny Sexton.

This comes just a week after winger Aphiwe Dyantyi was also given the nod for the Breakthrough of the Year accolade alongside Ireland’s Jordan Lamour and All Blacks prop Karl Tu’inukuafe.

Congrats! @M_marxi2 and @fafdeklerk were nominated for the prestigious @WorldRugby Player of the Year Award. This follows hot on the heels of last week’s announcement that Aphiwe Dyantyi had been shortlisted as one of three candidates for the Breakthrough of the Year. #boksontour pic.twitter.com/Qb3Eav7d83 — South African Rugby (@Springboks) November 2, 2018

Malcolm Marx will be in action for the Springboks tomorrow against England at Twickenham, while Faf de Klerk will miss the match, as well as the three subsequent November Internationals as he has been excluded from the squad to hand other scrumhalf options a go, ahead of next year’s World Cup in Japan.

Should either of the two win the award, it will be the first time in over a decade it has gone to a Springbok after legendary winger Bryan Habana’s exploits in 2007 saw him bag the honour, three years after it went to another South African in Schalk Burger.

Since 2012, only players from New Zealand have won the award, with Barrett now in line to win it for a third straight time.

Read: Rugby: Malcolm Marx challenge excites England hooker