What 'nobody can disagree' with about Springbok rookie's star turn

Springbok fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s record-breaking performance in South Africa’s 67-30 Rugby Championship win over Argentina has earned him the praise of both Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi.

The pair were quick to hand him his flowers in the post-match press conference in Durban. And who could argue? Even Argentina head coach Felipe Comteponi was getting in on the act.

The 23-year-old racked up 37 points – eclipsing Percy Montgomery’s long-standing record of 35 against Namibia in 2007 – with a hat-trick of tries and 10 kicks from the tee in a masterclass that sent the Boks to the top of the table.

Erasmus hailed his playmaker’s maturity while emphasising the collective effort that allowed him to shine.

“Nobody can disagree that he was brilliant on the day,” said Erasmus. “That’s what we always try to say – if you just put somebody in there consistently and expect him to be world class, it doesn’t just happen overnight. You grow a little bit against New Zealand, then Australia, then Wales, and I think he’s only on 11 caps now.

“I thought Doogz [Damian de Allende] helped him a hell of a lot, Damian Willemse played well, Manie came on, and there were a lot of guys that played well. None of us can disagree that Sacha was man of the match. He did incredible things on the field.

“But if you think of the lead-up to where he was today, there were many mishaps and bad kicking – not this game, but in other games. Sometimes we just need to give guys the chance to build their reputation and their skill set at Test level, and he’s definitely doing that. There are a hell of a lot of people helping him – Manie, Damian, Tony [Brown], Handré, everybody. Nobody can argue that was really good.”

Kolisi echoed the sentiment, praising Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s game management as well as his attacking flair.

“It was amazing. Not just in the way he scored tries. I think the way he controlled the game, the control and balance. The guys around him, as coach said, they helped him a lot in making decisions. But when we click as a team, every single player within our system is able to show who they are,” said the Bok captain.

“They pick us for a reason — we all have a point of difference. One of his is running with the ball, but other players have to be in position for him to get to those places. I thought he kept his head cool and put us in the right places. He was amazing today. He took charge, he took leadership as we wanted him to. That’s what stood out for me.

“We believe in our team and shared leadership. There’s not one leader who runs everything. Everybody plays a role. I saw so many different people come out of their shells today when the chips were down or when we made a mistake. It wasn’t just one voice.

“Also guys with experience listened to guys with fewer caps. That’s what makes our team special. From the first day coach made me captain, he made sure everybody was in charge so I didn’t take all the burden. You see younger guys with one cap taking charge and telling us, and we listen. That was powerful today. I thought Sacha was really amazing and hopefully we can continue next week.”

Felipe Contepomi was also impressed: “Well, I’m not good with stats, but you can tell he’s a brilliant player. Obviously, when you’re the coach of the opposition, you don’t want him out there. But as a rugby fan, he’s one of those players who lights up the sport.”