Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has credited two-time World Cup-winning teammates for his seamless promotion to the Springbok starting lineup. DYLAN JACK reports.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu marked his first Test start with a solid performance in the No 10 jersey, as the back-to-back world champions ended their Brisbane curse against the Wallabies on Saturday.
Having previously come off the bench at fullback and centre, Feinberg-Mngomezulu warmed to his responsibilities as the starting flyhalf and grew in confidence as the game went on, helping the Boks win in Brisbane for the first time since 2013.
“I feel amazing. I’m so happy the guys pulled it together,” Feinberg-Mngomezulu said.
“There was some talk about the curse of Suncorp, but to have a good training week and put points on a quality outfit was our goal. So I’m glad we achieved that this week. Next week, we go again.”
Feinberg-Mngomezulu said he was most proud of the defensive resolve shown by his teammates after cruising to a big lead in the second half at a sold-out Suncorp Stadium.
“The defence we showed, when we were 30 points up, that grit and determination, that relentless getting off the line to tackle is everything the Springboks stand for,” he said.
“To pull that off, defend our flag away from home, the boys are happy.”
Feinberg-Mngomezulu dovetailed excellently with veteran fullback Willie le Roux, executing Tony Brown’s attacking gameplan superbly, with wonderfully-weighted passes to set his teammates free.
“It comes naturally,” he said. “The guys around me, double World Cup champs, their aura rubs off on me. They provide me with clarity and security.
“I feel so at home here. It just allows me to be myself on the field and ultimately just do my job properly.”
Currently in his debut Test season after first being called into the Springbok squad in November 2022, the DHL Stormers playmaker is delighted with how 2024 is panning out for him.
“It’s my crown year, so I definitely now believe that crown years are special,” he said, referring to his 22nd birthday falling on 22 February this year.
“This has been the most awesome year ever. To rub shoulders with my heroes and step up and see them as my teammates is a dream come true.
“I hope that this year is just a building block for the future.”
Photo: Matt Roberts/Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
