Rassie explains why Sacha retains starting spot over Manie
REACTION: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus explained his reasoning for retaining Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at flyhalf for the fourth and final Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks in Baltimore this weekend.
*Also read: Rassie makes two changes for Greatest Rivalry finale in Baltimore
Feinberg-Mngomezulu started all three Tests during the RGR series at No.10, with Manie Libbok featuring off the bench.
This past weekend in Soweto, where the Boks went 2-1 up in the series after defeating the All Blacks 29-24, Feinberg-Mngomezulu shifted to fullback with the injury to Cheslin Kolbe in the ninth minute, as Libbok came on to slot into the No.10 position.
The Boks’ attack got another edge with Libbok on the field for an extended period compared to the previous two Tests, unlocking New Zealand’s defence on several occasions and almost scoring a scorcher of a try himself had he not been tackled short of the line late in the first half.
Following his performance at FNB Stadium, many fans and pundits called for Libbok to be the starting flyhalf in Baltimore, and given his record against New Zealand, there’s good merit to the argument.
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Libbok was the starting flyhalf when the Boks handed the All Blacks their biggest defeat at the time (35-7) at Twickenham in 2023.
Similarly, he replaced Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the 18th minute during the 2025 Rugby Championship in Wellington, where the Boks bettered the Twickenham record, dismantling the All Blacks by 43-10.
Erasmus explained his reasoning regarding his selection of the two playmakers and how he sees Libbok’s impact off the bench as opposed to starting.
“The first thing is, we could’ve selected Handre [Pollard] as well, as he is ready, and he’ll probably play against Australia [in two weeks],” Erasmus told Rugby365.
“Consistency is probably the main reason why Sacha starts, but also the game is a bit different in the last 30 minutes when everyone’s a bit tired.
“There are obviously a few more gaps [defensively], and the forwards being a bit more heavy-footed, where they struggle to fill the [defensive] gaps.
“Apart from Sacha’s skillset – there are many things he does well; he’s a very good defender, and that’s normally one of the big things as the All Blacks always try to get a fast start.
“Manie [Libbok] definitely did well for us [last weekend], but regarding Sacha…. there are some areas where he’s not hitting his straps 100 percent for us yet.
“But one must remember that he was out [injured] for a long time, and suddenly he’s playing his fourth consecutive match, and it’s only his third full match that he’s played.
“With Manie, we know he can come on after five minutes if Sacha gets injured, knowing he can handle the pressure.
“But we also know we might need him later in the game as we did in Cape Town.”
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Erasmus elaborated on Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s defensive capabilities and how he complements the other players in the team in that regard.
“When the All Blacks make a linebreak, they do it with a hell of a speed; that’s a game that they promote, and we can feel it on the pitch.
“They certainly can cut you apart and finish some awesome tries, as they did outscore us in that department comfortably.
“Luckily that’s not the only way to win Test matches, so three points is only two less than five; sometimes you can slot a drop goal or penalty.
“There’s not a defensive system the All Blacks can’t breach in the way they’re playing, and then the scramble defence becomes really important, where our guys can fight back and get to a reference point where they’re just a ruck to try and stop their offloads and great running skills.
“When you have young, energetic guys like Sacha, Damian [Willemse], Ethan [Hooker], Grant [Williams] and Krappie [Morne van den Berg] in your team, it helps a lot because they bring the energy and the speed.
“But the older guys still manage to keep up, and they bring the calmness when it comes to that. So that combination is really important to stay calm and also have the energy to try and match those linebreaks and get the ball back or defend better.”
