Why Rassie is so excited about new Bok star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

By all accounts, Springbok and Stormers rising star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is sitting in a delicate position. 

The utility back has made only four appearances for the Springboks and already there are flattering superlatives like prodigy, generational talent and wunderkind thrown in his direction. Early adulation may be a distraction for a young lad of 22 who is taking baby steps onto the international stage, but those who know him better in Cape Town say his feet are firmly on the ground. 

As Bok coach Rassie Erasmus pointed out this week before the team’s departure for their Rugby Championship match against Australia in Brisbane next weekend, there is no doubt about his talent. But Erasmus emphasised Feinberg-Mngomezulu needs to be managed properly by the Boks and Stormers to avoid burnout from too much rugby and the perils of being thrust into the limelight because of his burgeoning reputation. 

In the Tests he has featured in against Wales at Twickenham, Ireland in Pretoria and Durban and the historic match against Portugal in Bloemfontein, Feinberg-Mngomezulu has raised his hand. 

He is very much a three-in-one type of player because of his abilities at flyhalf, inside centre or fullback and he also has dangerous weapons when it comes to kicking out of hand or at goal. Feinberg-Mngomezulu has also impressed with skills beating defenders and has shown strong winning mentality, leading to Erasmus tipping him as a future Bok captain. 

In fact, Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a former junior Springbok captain. Erasmus said he has been in the system for a long time and they know the potential that he has. 

“Sometimes we underestimate those South Africa A tours and just look at the results,” Erasmus said. “Getting those guys there under certain pressure with new coaches and Mzwandile Stick taking over as head coach there because we were splitting the squads, in that way you get to know the players better. 

“He trained with the Springboks in full-on contact sessions and you can see the character of the guy. Obviously we know him from our system and junior programmes and he is captaincy material.” 

For club and country, Feinberg-Mngomezulu has showed versatility as he can cover multiple positions, which is a prerequisite for a modern player. 

“We put him at fullback when Willie le Roux got injured and we only lost the game by a drop goal [in the 25-24 second Test loss to Ireland] and certainly it was not because of the way he played. It is not like we don’t respect tier one teams, but it is always nice to put a player around a lot of experienced players. 

“We were all pleasantly surprised when we went down to 14 men and with Lukhanyo Am playing 12 and him playing 10 in the second half. Not that Manie [Libbok] didn’t play well — he also had glimpses of brilliance when we were down to 14 men from the second minute. 

“Sasha next to Lukhanyo at 12 is also interesting, but we must recognise it was against Portugal who are a tier two team and they played away from home.” 

The Springboks play nine Test matches against strong teams like Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Scotland, England and Wales over the coming months and Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a key member of the plans for the national team and at the Stormers.

“He is a natural talent and no-one can sit here and argue about that. It’s just how he takes the next step and how we manage him. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him.” 

Handrè Pollard is the first choice flyhalf and Manie Libbok has been given opportunities since the fall from grace of Elton Jantjies, but Feinberg-Mngomezulu is knocking hard on the door.