COMMENT: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu won’t let Springbok success go to his head
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, a rising star in Springbok rugby, has impressed with record-breaking performances but remains grounded despite comparisons to legends like Dan Carter, emphasising the hard work and resilience needed to achieve greatness. Picture: Rodger Bosch/AFP
Image: Rodger Bosch/AFP
Shortly before the Rugby Championship, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu spoke with quiet confidence about his ambitions as a Springbok rugby player, and the work he would have to put in before he became one of the best players in the side.
Flash forward to the conclusion of the Rugby Championship as the Springboks defended their title, comparisons are already being made between the talented flyhalf and some of the best number 10s the game has ever seen, including New Zealand legend Dan Carter.
Those comparisons are for good reason though, as the 23-year-old was incredible during the Rugby Championship, highlighted by his 37-point contribution against Argentina in Durban.
His tactical play, flair, and accurate goal-kicking saw him set a new record for most points scored by a Springbok player in a single game. His three tries, eight conversions, and two penalties saw Mngomezulu eclipse the previous record of 35 points in a single game previously held by Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok Percy Montgomery.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s Journey to Becoming a Springbok Rugby Great
But before the Rugby Championship, Feinberg-Mngomezulu was still seen as a player on the fringes of selection and certainly was not talked about already as one of the future greats of the game.
In fact, when Feinberg-Mngomezulu was asked what he needed to do to be considered one of the greats of Springbok rugby, he explained that much work lay ahead.
“That's a tricky question, man. But like, Siya’s [Kolisi] the guy, [Handre] Pollard’s the guy, Eben's [Etzebeth] the guy, Cheslin’s [Kolbe] the guy. What do they all have in common? They've won this country matches, they've won this country World Cups, they have been around for a long time. They've got a huge support base, and they are good examples.
“So the sooner I can become like them, that's when I'll probably start to look like that guy. But it's going to take time. I think Siya and Eben have been around for just over a decade, so it's not going to happen tomorrow.”
Handling Criticism: Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s Approach to Off-Days in Rugby
In fact, Feinberg-Mngomezulu had just had a bit of an off-day against Georgia a couple of weeks prior in the Springboks’ 55-10 victory over the minnow rugby nation.
The youngster spoke with maturity about how he handled criticism after an under-par performance like that - which will naturally happen in a career spent on the rugby field.
“I think sometimes kickers and athletes just have an off-day, and I’d like to just think that off-day won’t be repeated again. I would hate to blame external factors for that, independently looking at myself and saying that it just wasn’t my day with the boot.
“That’s one of the highest pressures of our position, but it’s also one of the most attractive things about our position. You have to really be on par with everything, and I think that drives you to new standards and new levels, and it gives you new responsibility to be a match-breaker and orchestrator for the team.
“Yeah, it’s tough, and it’s tricky that sometimes one impact like that in the game can have such a negative pushback, pullback, but it’s part of it, and I think it motivates you to just be better in that aspect of your game, and I think that’s the one positive that can come from it. That you just know you need to nail down, as many things, as many aspects, as many characteristics of the game as you can.”