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What Erasmus wants from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in first Test start

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, the South Africa Test rookie (Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)

Rassie Erasmus has explained what he wants to see from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, the 22-year-old who will this Saturday start his first Test as the Springboks No10. The Stormers youngster has made four recent appearances off the bench for South Africa, but he has now been upgraded to start at fly-half in the 2024 Rugby Championship opener away to Australia in Brisbane. 

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Feinberg-Mngomezulu is one of two new starters in the XV as Elrigh Louw has also been named at No8. Erasmus shed light on Tuesday on why he selected the rookie half-back who has double Rugby World Cup winner Handre Pollard providing back-up from the Suncorp Stadium bench.

“He is starting and 10 is pivotal in every Test match and every game, but he is someone we know well,” reckoned Erasmus at his media briefing after naming a Springboks side showing 12 changes from the XV that started the July 20 win over minnows Portugal. 

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“It’s not somebody that has just fallen into our system. It’s somebody who came through our system. Like Damian Willemse when he came through the system. There are so many guys that can compete for that No10… we have the opportunity to get guys from one level of the Test match against a tier two nation, playing off the bench.

“What do we expect from him? To work with guidelines within how we went to play on defence and attack, and then he must bring Sacha to the table like Handre brings Handre to the table. We all know what Manie (Libbok) does when Manie is on fire and year. We are expecting the same from Sacha and hope to create that environment where he can be himself and bring the natural talent like all the other guys.”

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Erasmus was keen to stress that Feinberg-Mngomezulu was a youngster monitored for quite some time. “He was with the SA A side two years ago when we played against Munster and Bristol and he was with the Springbok team and impressed then and he impressed at the Junior World Cup just like a lot of guys, Jaden Hendrikse and other guys I could mention. 

“The nice thing is when you track those guys from a certain age you know what their capabilities are… The one thing that we do see with these younger guys coming through with skill sets that get coached at school and the EPD system, we don’t have to tinker a lot with or change a lot. They are really well rounded. 

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“But somewhere you are going to get a shock in a Test match and it will be, ‘Yeah, I’m here at the big level now’. It just depends when and who is around him and who will support him and how he handles that. That is the exciting thing to look forward to because he definitely has got all the natural talent. 

“It is a big opportunity for him like it is for Elrigh and Grant (Williams) playing off the bench and a few others. After a World Cup you are going to find some guys knocking on the door but to have a guy like Handre, with more than 70 caps on the bench, that’s nice security… It’s an exciting opportunity for him and hopefully the forwards can give him the platform.”

RG Snyman, Cobus Reinach and Kurt-Lee Arendse are South Africa’s only three repeat starters from the win over Portugal which followed the drawn two-match Test series with Ireland and a Twickenham win over Wales in their first outing of 2024. Erasmus went on to describe the balancing act in selection between picking inexperienced youngsters and trying to still be successful. 

As we all say internally here we can’t look too far ahead and forget the present but we can’t just look at the present. In the squad overall, there are nine guys I counted today that weren’t regulars prior to the World Cup last year which we are rotating in and out. 

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“I wouldn’t say it’s a changing of the guard. It’s giving guys opportunity… and it’s Sacha’s fifth cap. When we went to World Cup 2019, we used to say we didn’t want to go with a guy with eight, nine caps and it has been well documented, I don’t think there has been a World Cup won with a fly-half less than 24 years old, I think Jonny Wilkinson was the youngest.

“It’s not a change of the guard, it’s a squad of 45 guys trying to win each Test match. It’s certainly with the hat on for the future but they have to earn the right to change the guard.” 

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Damian de Allende attended the media briefing with Erasmus and he will run the No12 channel outside Feinberg-Mngomezulu in Brisbane. “I really enjoy him,” he said about the rookie Test-level 10. “He is very well spoken and he has got a lot of confidence which I really enjoy. 

“On Saturday it is his first start and he will be quite nervous but I hope he will be nice and composed because when he is composed and is expressing himself, he is exceptional. I am looking forward to the Test match but I know that I will try and keep him composed and let him express himself on the field and lead our forwards going forward. If he can just express himself and play his natural game he will be an amazing joy to watch.”

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In this episode of Walk the Talk, Jim Hamilton chats with double World Cup winner Damian de Allende about all things Springbok rugby, including RWC2023 and the upcoming Ireland series. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'Borthwick needs to have faith in Marcus Smith' Mick Cleary: 'Borthwick needs to have faith in Marcus Smith'
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