In his most recent interview, the Springbok sensation asked for people to hold back on the hype and give him some time.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is already being touted as a generational talent, and many are tipping him to reach the dizzying heights of All Blacks legend Dan Carter.
But the man himself, who almost has a cocky swagger when playing on the field, is incredibly humble when off of it, and that may be what helps him become a great of the game.
Last year was a breakout international season for Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who showed incredible talent as a young 22-year-old.
After making his Springbok debut against Wales, he impressed against Ireland, and was then backed by coach Rassie Erasmus in the Rugby Championship.
He was slightly criticised for hiding an injury after the game against the All Blacks at Ellis Park. After being allowed to play with it in the second Test in Cape Town, he was then ruled out of the rest of the international season due to that injury.
That likely played a part in him missing out on World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year award, an accolade for which he was nominated but went to the All Blacks’ Wallace Sititi.
2025 season
Heading into 2025 if anyone wondered if he could back it up, that was banished emphatically as he produced an even better season and showed the world that he was definitely one to watch.
He broke Percy Montgomery’s individual point scoring record for the Boks in a single match, scoring 37 points in their Rugby Championship game against Argentina in Durban, and he starred in a number of other matches for the national team.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu was interviewed a few times throughout the year, and his humility was immediately noticeable, admitting mid-year that he wasn’t yet ‘the guy’ for the Springboks.
In the past week he has been named MyPlayers Players’ Player of the Year, and he was crowned the world’s best player by popular rugby website RugbyPass.
In his most recent interview, however, he said he was not that great, asking for people to hold back on the hype and give him some time.
And it is that humility, and his ability to stay grounded, that could see him one day become the greatest Springbok, and possibly player, to have ever played the game.
