It's been a dream week for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, from being handed his first Springbok jersey to scoring his first points for South Africa.
The 22-year-old has been earmarked for future greatness and in the 20 minutes he featured in the Boks’ dominant 41-13 win over Wales, Feinberg-Mngomezulu followed the script.
READ: BOKKE: Shaun Goosen’s standout performers against Wales
The season-opener allowed coach Rassie Erasmus to test depth at flyhalf. Lions star Jordan Hendrikse started at pivot, then made way for Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the second stanza.
The Stormers star announced himself on the international stage by slotting a 52m penalty with consummate ease. Feinberg-Mngomezulu went on to distribute well in the backline and kick two more conversions.
Reflecting on his difficult opening kick, the humble Feinberg-Mngomezulu paid tribute to his kicking coach and the Bok management team.
“It was a good kick by me, but it was a kick made by a lot of people,” the Cape Town native told Forever Sports.
“My kicking coach Gareth Wright at the Stormers as helped me a lot. [Tony] Brown helped me in the week, just getting my head right and making sure I approach the ball slowly.
“It’s a kick by a solo guy, but it’s a hard-working team behind that kick so credit to them.
“These guys really make you feel at home. They help you adapt to this environment very quickly. They put in a lot of work to make sure you’re comfortable and your detail is spot-on. By the time you get on the park, you know your job and you can just go out and do what Rassie says: earn your spot on the squad. That’s what keeps the heart rate low I guess!”
Erasmus handed Feinberg-Mngomezulu his first Bok jersey on Tuesday when the team was announced. The weight of the moment was not lost on the young talent.
“Getting my jersey was quite emotional for me,” he said.
“When you get a Springbok jersey with your name on it, I can’t summarise it, it’s what you literally dream of. An out-of-body experience. It’s a heavy jersey, it comes with a lot of weight. There’s a whole country behind this green jersey.”
There was a touching moment for the rising star after the final whistle, as he embraced his father and friends pitchside.
And up step this youngman Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu,slots a difficult kick over like its normal,freakish,the amount of dept for the Boks is scary😳🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/a4GDXCbjp4
— Breyton Paulse (@BreytonPaulse) June 23, 2024
