Cut Sacha some slack: Trust the Springbok maverick
OPINION: Dylan Jack argues that Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been misunderstood by critics who call him selfish – and that South Africans should trust his instincts as he grows into his Bok general role.
Few young players in South Africa currently provoke as much debate as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. He’s the maverick, the can-do kid, the flashy risk-taker. For some, he’s also selfish, windgat, and arrogant.
The truth is that he’s a player who combines composure, instinct, and courage under pressure. And South Africans need to trust him more.
The Stormers playmaker has already shown moments of class – the calmness of a footballer who reads the game instinctively and plays with a natural ease. Yet there’s a section of the South African rugby public ready to shake their heads at every misplaced offload or cross-field kick, questioning if he’s thinking of his own name in headlights first.
It’s not an unfamiliar tension in South African rugby culture – we’ve always been wary of players who stand out too soon.
South Africans have always valued grit, humility, and a team-first mentality. We celebrate players like Duane Vermeulen, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Handré Pollard, and his predecessor Morné Steyn – reliable, hard-working, and steady under pressure.
Flair and instinctive brilliance, however, are still met with skepticism until they evidently benefit the team. Even then, walking with your head down is preferred to walking with a bit of swagger in your step.
Despite this, Feinberg-Mngomezulu has taken his game up a notch with the Springboks this year.
He collected 37 points – a national record – against Argentina in Durban. That alone is worth celebrating, but it was the moment just before half-time in that game that stood out most.
What a way to bring up your hat-trick 🎩🤩
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu today 🤯#RSAvARG #TheRugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/UPzo16EnZU
— TheRugbyChampionship (@SanzarTRC) September 27, 2025
Argentina had just been awarded a penalty try to retake the lead, with Malcolm Marx seeing yellow as a result. Many of the Springboks had their heads down, ready to head into the sheds for some words of inspiration.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu, however, marched up to the referee, reminding him there were still seconds to play before the break. He nailed the restart, the Boks regathered, and within moments he turned a loose ball into gold – plucking a high pass, stepping through tackles, and scoring himself.
Moments like that reveal not arrogance, but the mindset of a player who wants to keep his team in the fight.
Five days after helping the Boks retain their Rugby Championship title in London, Feinberg-Mngomezulu was back in a Stormers jersey. Starting on a chilly Friday night in Llanelli, he scored 12 points to help the Capetonians continue their unbeaten start to the season.
That’s commitment.
Another issue is that many fans have taken what happened to Feinberg-Mngomezulu during the 2024 Rugby Championship, misunderstood it, and used it to fit their belief that he puts himself above the team.
To be clear, the issue was that Feinberg-Mngomezulu tried to hide a knee injury he suffered against the All Blacks in Johannesburg. He earned a public rebuke from Rassie Erasmus – but it was the action of a youngster desperate to help his country win.
He underwent surgery, recovered, and was back in the squad for this year’s Incoming Tour.
It’s been a while since South Africa has seen a playmaker capable of single-handedly turning a game in the way he does. Criticising him for that would be like slating Jonah Lomu for scoring too many tries and not passing enough, or Du Toit for hammering too many flyhalves. It’s what they do.
This isn’t to say that Feinberg-Mngomezulu is the finished product. His decision-making still wavers – as it should for a 23-year-old learning to balance instinct and structure. There are times he could slow the game, trust the phase, or defer a risky pass.
But those are refinements, not flaws. Every instinctive playmaker – from Beauden Barrett to Finn Russell – had to learn this. Growth only happens when coaches, teammates, and fans allow risk, rather than punishing flair.
South African rugby fans can’t demand creativity and then condemn a player who dares to express it.
The 23-year-old isn’t just a talent for tomorrow – he’s a player for today. He blends instinct and flair with composure. He has the potential to become the most complete playmaker to don the green and gold.
South African rugby shouldn’t fear his confidence – they should embrace it. He’s a rare talent in our system. Instead of questioning him, we should take pride in him.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is ours. Let’s celebrate that.
