Springboks: Who is Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu? The new prodigy: Planet Rugby

Child prodigy. Generational talent. A legend in the making. You name it, Springbok #937. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is also called him.

It’s hard to remember this kind of excitement surrounding a South African player working his way up the food chain to the Test arena in such a way that greatness seems inevitable.

“He was born for this sport.”

These are the words of John Dobson in a conversation with SuperSport when asked about the former Junior Springboks skipper, he has donned the blue and white of Western Province and the Stormers.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu is clearly an exceptionally talented player who has drawn comparisons to coach Dobson’s youngest two-time Rugby World Cup winner Damian Willemse.

It goes beyond the skills on the pitch, where he can slot in with aplomb at fly-half, inside centre or full-back, shoot from hand or on target, and seemingly beat defenders at will; it extends to mentality. The will to win, the will to be the best.

Competitor

Dobson recalls one specific match from Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s youth career that typified his competitive nature.

“We played Sacha as an under-19 player in a Toyota Challenge match at flyhalf. He made 21 tackles. There is now no defensive system in the world that requires a flyhalf to make 21 tackles. The similarities with Gazza (Damian Willemse) are incredible,” Dobson said Supersport.

“The amazing competitiveness, the desperation to win, ‘no respect for their own body’ type player – which is probably why he has the injury profile he has. Neither he nor Damian – although they are great steppers and great with the ball in hand, that’s not what their core is.

“Their core is rugby, and trying to compete and fight. The highlights are great, but that’s not what Sacha is about. He wants to tackle, carry, smash.”

That winning instinct does not always translate into results and must be complemented with other character traits to cope with extreme pressure, both on the field and from the crowd off it.

The highlight of Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s debut for many would have been his 50+ meter penalty, but for us it is the calm and impassive manner in which he did it. This young man, already carrying the burden of expectation, casually stepped forward and passed the ball over.

There was no big celebration, no commotion, he just returned to his position. Instead, Rassie Erasmus and Tony Brown were happy.

Even after the game and in other press conferences he is calm, he speaks well and people want to listen. That kind of attitude and charisma has not been seen in a Springbok 10 since Handre Pollard announced himself.

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The weight of the past

As if it couldn’t be more symbolic, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, apart from his outrageous skills on the field, represents what the Springboks are all about and that is change.

During the dark days of Apartheid in South Africa, the Springboks were a sporting symbol of the oppressive regime, so much so that the great Nelson Mandela was heavily criticised for refusing to abolish the name and emblem, which has now become a symbol of togetherness.

It was during those troubled times that anti-apartheid activist Barry Feinberg (Sacha’s grandfather) had to flee to England, where Nick, the Springbok’s father, was born.

Barry dreamed that young children of colour could grow up in South Africa and represent the Springboks. Sadly, he died before his grandson could fulfil that dream, but the power of his fight lives on through the young Test star.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu now carries that mantle as a player of color who has had the opportunity and, more importantly, the path to grow into his potential. He’s doing rather fittingly as one of the most talented players in a long time.

Time to learn more

For him, the journey has just begun and he wants to do the same thing he did to reach the testing arena: learn.

“I am currently in the sponge mentality. I fully understand that I’m the new kid in the system right now and I have a lot of work to do and a lot of things to fix. With the people around me, I am sure I will do well,” he said.

“Yesterday, when we were kicking, I saw Willie (Le Roux) kick a ball and Handre (Pollard) kick a ball. You pick up something with every repetition, whether it’s Jesse (Kriel) warming up or Handre kicking – it’s an environment where there are invaluable lessons and experiences to be found. I try to sponge up as much as possible.”

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