Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s record-breaking performance against Argentina in Durban was Dan Carter-esque in its dominance, writes SIMON BORCHARDT.
The Springbok flyhalf had played just 18 minutes of the Boks’ record win against the All Blacks in Wellington two weeks earlier before being concussed, but at Kings Park he produced a complete 80-minute display in what was only his 14th Test and sixth start in the No 10 jersey.
‘Sacha FM’ had already announced himself on the global stage, but this was on another level – at a similar level, in fact, to Carter’s career-defining performance in the second Test of the 2005 series against the British & Irish Lions in Wellington, when the All Blacks flyhalf scored 33 points in a 48-18 win.
At Kings Park, Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored 37 points in a 67-30 win from a hat-trick of tries, eight conversions and two penalty goals, breaking Percy Montgomery’s Bok record of 35 set against Namibia in 2007. He also ended with 134m from 13 carries, while beating 13 defenders and making three clean breaks.
His first try came shortly after Cheslin Kolbe’s quick goal-line dropout gifted Los Pumas a try and the lead. Feinberg-Mngomezulu responded by kicking what looked like a 50/22, only to chase down his own kick and score.
Blink and you’ll miss it
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
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The Boks then conceded a penalty try on the stroke of half time, but with four seconds remaining they regained possession from the restart and, after a dozen phases, their young No 10 stepped Lucio Cinti to edge them back in front.
Early in the second half, with the Boks still down to 14 men, Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s cross-kick set up Kolbe’s try, before he completed his hat-trick with an audacious dummy while acting as scrumhalf.
It was the flyhalf who kept the Boks on the front foot as the floodgates opened in the second half, allowing him to write his name into the record books.
Before the Rugby Championship, Feinberg-Mngomezulu insisted he didn’t indulge comparisons with Carter, but after Kings Park they became impossible to avoid. Even the usually measured Rassie Erasmus resorted to superlatives.
“He was brilliant on the day,” said the Bok coach, before acknowledging the help the player had got from Damian de Allende, Manie Libbok, attack coach Tony Brown and veteran flyhalf Handré Pollard, who wasn’t in the match 23.
“But no one can disagree that Sacha was Man of the Match and did incredible things on the field,” Erasmus added.
RASSIE: Sacha did incredible things
No one can deny, either, that Feinberg-Mngomezulu is now the Boks’ first-choice flyhalf – even if Erasmus insists there’s no pecking order – and the man in pole position to lead their World Cup title defence Down Under in 2027.
It’s a scary thought: how good could he be by then?
PICK YOUR BOK MVP: Boks vs Argentina
Photo: Floris van Schouwenburg/Gallo Images
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