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The unjustified vilification of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
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When Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu came off with an ankle injury in the act of scoring a try for the Stormers in their URC quarter-final in late May, it seemed his international season was potentially over.
SA Rugby mag reported a three-to-six-month recovery timeline for a syndesmosis injury. After surgery in June, the No.10 was back playing in just 10 weeks. From three months down to two and a half, ahead of the biggest series of his career.
Since returning as the Boks’ flyhalf against Argentina, he’s had two performances below his game-breaking standard from 2025, while implementing a stale high-ball game plan.
Is anyone surprised by this given he busted his ankle less than three months ago and had surgery two months ago?
The main giveaway he’s not 100 per cent as he’s not kicking goals. The ankle injury is on the plant leg, and it likely can’t hold the weight in the kicking motion. Cheslin Kolbe kicked very well at Ellis Park, but Feinberg-Mngomezulu would be taking the shots if he could.
If anyone is to blame, it’s Springbok management for pushing him to return while recovering.
Along with Sacha, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, and Lood de Jager are all lacking minutes and playing on ambitious return schedules. Many of the veterans are undercooked for a series against the All Blacks.
The net impact of this played out in the first Test, where the Springboks turned up the intensity but couldn’t find accuracy. They turned the ball over 23 times.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu was left scrambling to recover multiple balls that were sent behind him on attack. He played with a No.9 that had a shocking platform at the breakdown.
Williams and Feinberg-Mngomezulu take the blame, but the tape reveals a pack that couldn’t do their jobs effectively, leaving the ruck exposed, sloppy ball presentation, and countless errors.
What halves combination will play well off that platform? Even Aaron Smith and Dan Carter would struggle.
The Bok pack dominated the scrums, earning the adulation of their fanbase for the macho showing at set-piece. But in phase play where the spotlight isn’t so bright, they failed to do the basics well.
It’s the golfer who can smash a drive over 300 yards and can’t chip or putt. Drive for show, putt for dough. The Springboks’ pack didn’t want to play golf; they just wanted a long drive contest.
Let’s assume Feinberg-Mngomezulu was healthy enough; he’s still the best playmaker the Springboks have. How many times, after winning advantage at the scrum, did they give him the ball from the scrum platform to make a play?
You can count one, from which he had a line break running short off Williams. He nearly scored and was held up over the line by Ardie Savea and a handful of other All Blacks.
That’s poor strategy; even with a free roll of the dice, they didn’t think to provide to their best playmaker, instead keeping it in. The pack were more interested in the next testosterone hit instead of scoring points.
He took many hit-ups from the lineout, but it’s not the same. The scrum has eight forwards committed in a bind; there’s much more space available. Particularly under advantage, you’ve got a free play.
We’ve seen the flyhalf score countless tries in the big moments, against Ireland, against France, the flawless destruction of Argentina in Durban. He is a match winner.
The overall game plan was terrible for a player of his ability. In midfield zones, they asked their halves to put up high ball after high ball. In the red zone, they rolled forward carries around the corner for phase after phase.
These game plans are not coming from Tony Brown. There’s no way he would draft up a two-phase box kick from a lineout inside the All Blacks’ half. Nope. This is Erasmus all the way.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu is now on the bench for Cape Town, with Handre Pollard preferred. It’s not a bad call if you are going to persist with this plan. The weather looks like a leveller, and this pitch will play heavy if wet. Pollard can do what you need in this game plan.
Either way, their 24-year-old star has been mismanaged here, and it’s played directly into the All Blacks’ hands.
If he wasn’t 100 per cent, he shouldn’t have been out there. If he is out there, you’ve got to play a game that suits him, and they haven’t done that. Not in Johannesburg and not in Buenos Aires.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu deserves more respect in this situation; he’s not been set up to succeed. It’s a shame, as the No.1 player in the world last year; this would’ve been a career statement like Carter’s 2005 Lions series.
But if he’s not right, it’s not smart to risk the best No.10 in the world with a half-baked game plan.
