Springbok playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has the chance to showcase his talent against the All Blacks.
Image: Backpagepix
Often in life things happen for a reason and maybe, just maybe, by the final whistle on Saturday night at Cape Town Stadium, the Springboks’ army of supporters will be relieved that Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu started at flyhalf after all.
The 24-year-old came into the team through the back door after a cruel late injury ruled Handré Pollard out, but Feinberg-Mngomezulu has the talent to not so much slip through that door as bash it down.
He has been taking some stick for his unimpressive — by his standards — performances against Argentina, in his comeback from injury, and last week against the All Blacks. The way Feinberg-Mngomezulu must see it is that he has been handed an immediate shot at redemption.
And while he knows he hardly shot the lights out at Ellis Park, he did gain invaluable first-hand intelligence on how the All Blacks operate. He will be better for it.
There is a precedent. Last year, Pollard started in the epic Eden Park showdown. The Boks misfired in losing that match, and for the return game seven days later in Wellington, Feinberg-Mngomezulu took the conductor’s baton and his orchestra made sweet music.
That memory should give the young flyhalf plenty of confidence.
In mitigation of Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s sub-par performance last week, his team was outthought and outplayed. The All Blacks got their tactics spot on, particularly at the breakdown, where Grant Williams was put under enormous pressure. We have seldom seen the usually dynamic Williams look so indecisive, and that had a knock-on effect all the way down the backline, starting with the flyhalf.
Rassie Erasmus and his backroom staff have had a full week to prepare a response to the breakdown problem. They have also been significantly assisted by the return of Siya Kolisi on the flank.
Kolisi has been conspicuous by his absence, and his muscular presence at the rucks will be warmly welcomed by this week’s starting scrumhalf, Cobus Reinach. Feinberg-Mngomezulu, in turn, should get better ball and more time to play.
That could make a world of difference.
While Bok supporters will feel for Pollard, who misses out on a golden opportunity and whose calming presence would have been invaluable, it is not as though he is being replaced by a rookie.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu has already played 21 Tests and scored nine tries. This is not an inexperienced player being thrown into the deep end. His international record is impressive, and he has demonstrated that he possesses the skill and imagination to score points and create chances at this level.
So nobody is asking him to “do a Pollard”. Bok supporters are asking him to be Sacha.
And with 55,000 of his most loyal fans roaring him on at Cape Town Stadium, there is every chance he will step up and deliver the kind of performance we know he is capable of.
In a nutshell, he is too good to have three poor games in a row. And maybe, just maybe, Saturday night is when Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu reminds everyone why the Springboks have such high hopes for him.
