SPRINGBOK coach Rassie Erasmus has admitted there has been a reprimand of sorts to youngster Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu for not confessing that he was carrying an injury during the two-Test series against the All Blacks.
The 22-year-old has had surgery on a knee problem, and will next be available for the Boks when they tour the United Kingdom in November.
Erasmus says he would have preferred the talented flyhalf to have confessed to his injury, but he understands why Feinberg-Mngomezulu chose to play on and not squander his big chance.
“Sacha will only be ready for the end-of-year tour. He injured his knee before the first Test against the All Blacks and he played in that game,” Erasmus said after making 10 changes to the team for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash against Argentina in Santiago del Estero (11pm SA time kick-off).
“The next week on the Wednesday, I asked him why he was limping, and he said he injured his knee the previous week. I wanted to pull him out of that team because he was limping, on the field even.
“That’s what our players must understand. We have respect for everybody, but we must be honest when it comes to injuries.
“Nobody who’s got an injury and 80 percent ready is better than a Springbok who has no injuries and is 100 percent ready.
“So Sacha is lucky that we won those Test matches, because he gambled a bit,” the coach smiled.
“He is having the operation now. I’m not sure exactly what is wrong with the knee, but he will only be ready in four-and-a-half weeks,” Erasmus said.
The flyhalves on duty for Saturday’s big Rugby Championship game in Argentina are Handré Pollard, who is starting, and Manie Libbok.
Positive news on the injury front is that lock Jean Kleyn is at last over a cheekbone injury and will play for Munster this weekend in the United Rugby Championship.
Further good news on the second-row front is that RG Snyman and Franco Mostert have six weeks left to go before they play again.
Also, utility back Damian Willemse will be available for selection for the return match against the Pumas in Mbombela after a long-term hand injury, although he is more likely to feature in the URC for the Stormers against the Ospreys in Wales on the same day.
In a hint to the long-term future of captain Siya Kolisi, Erasmus said he is to include Kolisi in the coaches’ box on Saturday so that he can learn about how the coaches communicate with the players on the pitch.
“Siya was brought here not to play, but as standby if someone gets injured,” Erasmus said.
“But also to help prepare the team off the field. It was always the plan that he wouldn’t play. He still has a broken nose from the second game against New Zealand, but we will consider him for the Mbombela game.
“The one thing we also want to do is get Siya in the coaches’ box. We have Duane on the side, who relays the messages to Siya and the decision-makers on the field.
“But he doesn’t know what is happening in that coaches’ box, so we want to give him a feel of how we get to a decision or how we send a message down so that he understands the whole process.
“Two years ago, Duane had a better understanding of how to interpret information he received, and we hope to do the same with Siya this week.”
Erasmus said he expected the Pumas to play with desperation.
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“Under (former Puma) Felipe Contepomi, they are doing things the way they did in the old days.
“They don’t have a competition where their franchises can play. Their coach brings them together, and they go and beat New Zealand in New Zealand and they smash Australia.
“That just shows you there is massive character.
“They are also people who can go to the gutters and find a way; they can’t just take the easy route. They always have to make a plan.
“Their players are very desperate, and they have a good coach who has been all over the world, and he will bring a bit of Leinster taste into it. But they will have the Argentinian spirit, which is tough to stop.”