Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu displayed good form for the Stormers during the recent United Rugby Championship campaign.
Now is the time for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s star to truly rise.
The 23-year-old utility back had some excellent games for the Springboks last season but is still relatively wet behind the ears when compared with Handré Pollard and Manie Libbok.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus recently said he did not have a first-choice flyhalf and would use all three depending on the opposition and situation this season.
Still, any fan can see that when in form, Feinberg-Mngomezulu encompasses the best of both his seniors.
With playmaking and goal-kicking ability to rival Libbok and Pollard – and being five years younger than Libbok and eight years younger than Pollard – ‘Sacha FM’ could lead the Springboks through the 2027 Rugby World Cup and into the future.
Sacha’s rising star
He may have only 10 Test caps at the moment, but Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been impressive on the international stage.
In his Test debut against Wales a little over a year ago, he came off the bench and nailed a 52m penalty, plus two conversions. In his first Test start – a Rugby Championship game against Australia in August – he slotted four out of five conversions. He also assisted a try, gained nearly 5m per carry on average, and achieved a 75% tackle success rate.
Against New Zealand that same month, he slotted two conversions and four penalties (including a 61m monster kick). He achieved a 100% tackle success rate, beat four defenders and made 15 tactical kicks.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu in great form
Feinberg-Mngomezulu is no stranger to the Rugby Championship. He may have had an iffy start to the international season, slotting one out of five kicks at posts against Georgia and failing to create many opportunities. But he will be keen to continue his form from the domestic season.
Despite a long injury layoff, the flyhalf lit up the United Rugby Championship and was named SA’s URC player of the season. His return almost single-handedly drove the Stormers’ surge from 12th to fifth on the log, where the team finished.
He lit up the tournament with his unparalleled playmaking, even scoring 50 individual points over two matches. The flyhalf ended the tournament with an 85.7% kicking success rate compared to Libbok’s 72.6%. He had a poor game in his team’s quarter-final defeat, however.
With the mercurial Libbok in and out of form, and Pollard the ever-dependable goal-kicker but less strong in playmaking, this could be Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s season.
