This weekend, Feinberg-Mngomezulu will come off the bench for the Springboks in their must-win Rugby Championship Test against the Wallabies in Cape Town. The experienced Handré Pollard will start the crunch Test to marshal the backline, but the youngster will provide cover for him as well as Damian de Allende and Willie le Roux.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who shows a maturity on the field beyond his years, said it’s still very much a learning curve for him, and it’s important to tap into the wisdom of the senior players.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Photo: Morgan Piek

“I think the difference with having the big dogs, like Handré Pollard, is that there’s a ladder you have to climb,” said Feinberg-Mngomezulu. “Just learning from guys like him while juggling roles at 12 and 15 only helps my game grow.

“To put on a Springbok jersey is special every time, whether it’s 23, 22, 12, 15, 10 or even six on my back, whatever helps the team and helps me develop as a player.”

Last week in Johannesburg, the Wallabies’ rush defence put pressure on the world champions during the 38-22 win at Ellis Park. The versatile young player, who has a bright future ahead, said it’s something they’ve discussed but don’t lose sleep over.

“It’s definitely been a talking point as we wanted to figure out what happened. We have a defence system that enforces pressure on the opposition, and sometimes you have to concede a few metres on the edges,” said the product of Bishops in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town.

“That’s something we’re aware of, and it’s nothing new. We haven’t focused on it too much. I think there were system errors leading up to those bridge passes that caught us in that position.

“So those are the things we’ve looked at fixing. Sometimes we’ll have to give the opposition the bridge pass, and we’ll scramble like we always do and catch them on the next phase.”

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu against Portugal in Bloemfontein in 2024. Photo: Morgan Piek

Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a player brimming with X-factor. Incorporating his natural game into the Springbok fundamentals is a work in progress, but he knows it takes time and that the team always comes first.

“I think it’s going to take a bit of time, and the coach is spot on. We saw this weekend what happens when you drift away from our system, structures, and the fundamentals that make us successful.

“That’s something I’m really focusing on. It’s been a key point for the past couple of weeks. I’m constantly growing into it, being patient, and trying to do my best. When you enforce the Bok fundamentals, that’s when the team really thrives. 

Handré Pollard against Wales in Bloemfontein in 2022. Photo: Morgan Piek

“That’s when we put ourselves in positions we want and the opposition in positions they don’t.”

Saturday’s Test between the Springboks and a confident Wallabies side at Cape Town Stadium in Green Point kicks off at 17:10.

Springboks – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche

Replacements – 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Lood de Jager, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

Wallabies – TBA

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek