“This is how you learn and develop characters. I think Fassi came through with flying colours. Sacha also came through very well and this is not to say Handrè or Manie are out of it. We have to keep on building squads.
“Sacha was even emotional in the changeroom after the match. New Zealand is big and it is big for players to step up from playing against lower-tier nations to playing against the likes of Ireland and then the All Blacks who are just an amazing team.
“It takes guys like these to do it in a game like this. Even when it comes to Ben-Jason, we were feeling sorry for Pieter-Steph du Toit, who has played four, five and seven. He even did not know his name any more and we are happy with all the youngsters.”
The Boks and All Blacks go at it again on Saturday at Cape Town Stadium and Erasmus will have plenty of reason to show faith in Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Fassi and Dixon, who have raised their hands when given more opportunities, none more so than in the ultimate test against New Zealand.
Erasmus full of praise for Bok stars Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Fassi, Dixon
He threw them in the deep end and they fully delivered.
Emerging flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and a fullback who has shown great potential but often been on the fringes for the Springboks, Aphelele Fassi, were given a big chance against New Zealand on Saturday. They helped the Boks to a memorable 31-27 win at a packed and bouncing Ellis Park that should go a long way towards Rassie Erasmus' team lifting the 2024 Rugby Championship trophy.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu ended his shift with 16 points from four penalties and two conversions and it could have been three points more had he found the middle of the poles with his drop goal after 40 minutes.
In the first half, Mngomezulu channelled his inner Pat Lambie when he scored a 60m penalty that gave South Africa a slender one-point lead. Later he delivered a kick to set up a 5m line-out that led to Grant Williams' match-winning try.
The only stain in Fassi’s exceptional performance was the yellow card he received after six minutes that resulted in New Zealand responding quickly to score the first try through Codie Taylor.
Even if veteran fullback Willie le Roux was available for selection, there is every possibility Fassi, who can also play as a winger, was going to be given this opportunity.
Erasmus was full of praise for Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Fassi and another player given a chance — Ben-Jason Dixon, with big shoes to full at blindside flank after Pieter-Steph du Toit had to move to lock — who are establishing themselves in the star-studded Bok squad.
“We wanted those guys to experience this level of international rugby and we also wanted to see if they could handle it,” Erasmus said, adding the emergence of Feinberg-Mngomezulu at No 10 does not mean the end for Handrè Pollard or Manie Libbok.
“This is how you learn and develop characters. I think Fassi came through with flying colours. Sacha also came through very well and this is not to say Handrè or Manie are out of it. We have to keep on building squads.
“Sacha was even emotional in the changeroom after the match. New Zealand is big and it is big for players to step up from playing against lower-tier nations to playing against the likes of Ireland and then the All Blacks who are just an amazing team.
“It takes guys like these to do it in a game like this. Even when it comes to Ben-Jason, we were feeling sorry for Pieter-Steph du Toit, who has played four, five and seven. He even did not know his name any more and we are happy with all the youngsters.”
The Boks and All Blacks go at it again on Saturday at Cape Town Stadium and Erasmus will have plenty of reason to show faith in Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Fassi and Dixon, who have raised their hands when given more opportunities, none more so than in the ultimate test against New Zealand.
READ MORE