This is why Sacha got the nod for All Blacks Test
SPOTLIGHT: Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been handed the No.10 jersey for the opening Test of the Great Rivalry series, with Rassie Erasmus drawing on both the youngster’s previous success against New Zealand and his impressive form in training.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu has already tasted victory over the All Blacks, having started at flyhalf when the Springboks secured a famous 43-10 victory in Wellington last year.
That match saw South Africa produce one of their most dominant displays against their arch-rivals, scoring 36 unanswered points in a devastating second half. The 33-point victory remains the biggest defeat suffered by the All Blacks on home soil.
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Erasmus made seven changes to the starting XV that lost 17-24 in Auckland the previous week, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu replacing Handre Pollard as part of a significantly reshaped backline.
On Thursday the Springbok coach stressed that the decision was not based on existing combinations, despite Feinberg-Mngomezulu playing alongside scrumhalf Cobus Reinach at the Stormers.
“Sacha has done wonderful things for us when he’s played for us. He was the flyhalf last year when we beat them in Wellington,” Erasmus said.
“Cobus and Grant [Williams] are clearly the number one and two nines at this stage.
“So we don’t always put combinations together because Cobus and Sacha play together at the Stormers. We don’t look at that.
“We look at which player understands what we’re trying to do and which player trained the best.”
Erasmus admitted the decision between Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Pollard and Manie Libbok was a difficult one, while the scrumhalf selection was equally competitive, with Morne van den Berg and even Herschelle Jantjies pushing for opportunities.
“It’s always a tough call between Manie, Handre and Sacha,” he said.
“It’s tough between Krappie, Cobus and Grant, and even Herschelle is training really well,” the coach said.
The selection also forms part of a broader rotation strategy as the Springboks prepare for a four-Test series against the All Blacks.
Erasmus believes the series will ultimately be decided by depth, fitness and how effectively both teams manage their squads across the four matches.
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“We firmly believe from our experience from a Lions series – I mean, I played earlier in my younger days against the All Blacks or in Super 12 where you go to New Zealand for four weeks – that the game will probably be won in match three or four,” he said.
“Obviously if you win the first match, you’re in with a better chance of winning it because you just have to win another one and then you can’t lose it.
“But the decider will always be match three.”
That approach means the Springboks are determined to keep their entire squad engaged, with Erasmus hinting that further changes could follow in the second Test depending on how the opening encounter plays out.
“So, keeping everybody involved, everybody excited to play, and then when the next guy gets his chance, he will play,” he said.
“So, it was touch and go – who should play and who should not play.
“But in our squad, we like to rotate and hopefully, if things go our way on Saturday, we can make a few changes next week.”
