THe aura of the double World Cup winners playing next him has rubbed off on Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and kept the flyhalf calm and collected in his first start in the No 10 jersey for the Springboks, he feels.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu was instrumental in the Springboks’ 33-7 win over the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday, which took them to the top of the Rugby Championship log with five points.
The 22-year-old assisted in the try of lock Pieter-Steph du Toit, and had numerous magical moments on attack, while he was solid defensively in his channel. He contributed eight points with the boot, and although it was not a complete performance, he keeps improving game by game as the Boks’ new general.
He received high praise from former All Black ace Sonny Bill Williams and former Wallabies star Quade Cooper before and after his performance on Saturday. With the young flyhalf at the helm, the Boks broke their Brisbane hoodoo and will now set their sights on another victory in Perth this coming weekend.
“There were some talk around the curse of Suncorp (Stadium in Brisbane) but to have a good training week and execute when it comes to the game and put points against a quality outfit was our goal,” the rookie said.
“I’m glad we achieved that. Next week (this weekend) we go again. Being this calm comes naturally, I think. Just having the guys, double World Cup champs, around me helps.
“Their aura rubs off on me and they provide me with clarity and security. I feel so at home here and it allows me to be myself on the field and ultimately just do my job properly.
“Our defence at the end shows what this group stands for. After going up by 30 points (33-0), we sort of won the game.
“That grit and determination to get off the line and defend our flag, it’s everything that the Springboks stand for. To pull that off, and defend our flag away from home, the boys are happy.”
Feinberg-Mngomezulu has given Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus and his assistants some food for thought after his stellar performance. He earned another shot as the starting flyhalf for the second Test in Perth, but the youngster will follow any plans the coaches have for him.
The Boks, of course, have their World Cup winners Manie Libbok and Handre Pollard waiting in the wings to get the No 10 jersey back. Erasmus is expected to name his side for the second Test tomorrow morning.
In the meantime, the utility back is just taking everything in as he looks to add more special performances to his already blooming career.
“It’s my crown year, so I definitely now believe that crown years are special,” Feinberg-Mngomezulu said, after turning 22 in February.
“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 this year is just a building block for the future.”