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International

'The only thing he can improve’: Boks' one concern over SFM before RWC

Josh Raisey

136 days ago

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu of South Africa during the Quilter Nations Series 2025 rugby international match between Wales and South Africa at Principality Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Former Wales captain Dan Biggar has said “you can’t find a weakness” in Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s general game, but has flagged his goalkicking as an area in which South Africa will want him to improve.

The 23-year-old was crowned the best player in the world in 2025 by RugbyPass on Monday following a year in which he produced a handful of iconic individual performances.

It was only September when the fly-half truly made the No.10 jersey his own, setting a South African record with a haul of 37 points against Argentina in Durban in the Rugby Championship, and he has not looked back.

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It now seems inconceivable that anyone will be able to consistently prise the Bok No.10 shirt away from the Stormer over the next two years before the 2027 World Cup.

However, speaking on The Rugby Pod this week, the 112-cap Wales fly-half Biggar suggested goalkicking is the one area of Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s game where there is still room for improvement.

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34 - 27

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“His overall game, you can’t find a weakness, because he is absolutely on fire, brilliant footwork, brilliant pace, power, ability to break a game up, ability to control a game, his kicking game,” Biggar said.

“The one thing that could be interesting moving forward is his kicking percentage for the Springboks this year is about 70 per cent off the tee. I think that’s the only thing in his game, if you’re looking at it objectively, where he can improve, because there are very few areas he can improve in his general game.

“But you look at how South Africa won the last World Cup by a point in the quarters, a point in the semis and a point in the final, you probably need that stat to be pushing 80 per cent rather than 70 per cent.”

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Comments

11 Comments

Easy_Duzz-it 132 days ago

Ive seen a weakness . S.A vs Irish . 15vs12 and he couldn’t get the ball to kolbe ….

Why ?

Werner 134 days ago

I've seen some games where he missed crucial line kicks from his own quarter, putting his defense under pressure

Wayneo 135 days ago

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s kicking statistics (club & country combined) over the past three years (2023, 2024, and 2025 seasons) is 85%.

His goal-kicking success rate was 86.4% across the four matches of the Autumn Nations Series in November 2025. He successfully converted 18 out of his 21 total attempts at goal (conversions and penalties combined).

There I fixed it for you.

Hammer Head 135 days ago

Thank you for going through all that trouble to check facts.

DS 135 days ago

As with Manie Libbok who got lambasted at times but has I suppose improved his kicking a lot, all the oldies (like me, but I'm not so scathing) think back to the Naas Botha days - and I suppose currently to Pollard - and put too much of a stress on kicks, especially conversions because the Boks and Stormers seem to go for attacking lineouts from penalties anyway, and forget how many point-laden tries Sacha creates or scores, which neither Naas or Handre ever did or do. And they also forget that Naas (particularly) didn't ever get his shorts muddy and never tackled, which meant his kicking was never affected by the efforts - and bruises! - that Sacha puts in defending, so maybe that's what he needs to do to stop doing to keep everyone happy. He also doesn't miss that many kicks either, so I'd let him off anyway!

WM 135 days ago

Time will tell will anyone really be able to shut him down they didn't Dan Carter and his kicking will improve will he ever be Pollard standards we shall see but he has all the ability in the world and the more you practice the luckier he will get - Gary Player

Hammer Head 135 days ago

There is a difference between converting dozens of tries and converting clutch penalties to decide games.

Archibald 135 days ago

Fully agree with Biggar. Over the next two years, SFM will be studied and analysed to the nth degree. Come RWC 27, he will be a target. His time and space will be shutdown and a result may well hinge on a successful conversion or penalty.

Wayneo 135 days ago

You mean they will all wait and see how the other 3 South African teams deal with him and then copy & paste the same strategy.

ZB 135 days ago

Cant cover everything all at once. If they have to cover SFM religiously, there will then be more space out wide. Just his presence spells danger for any opposition whether its specifically him or someone else he's freed up on the outside by the attention being on him.

Hammer Head 135 days ago

Enter Handre H. Pollard

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