Rassie Erasmus, the head coach of the Springboks, is faced with a difficult decision regarding the flyhalf position after Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s impressive performances. Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who is only 22 years old, made a significant impact in his first appearance at flyhalf for the national team during the match against Portugal in Bloemfontein. He played a crucial role in setting up two tries and maintained a perfect kicking record by successfully converting all five of his attempts at goal.
On the other hand, Manie Libbok, Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s teammate from DHL Stormers, struggled with his goal-kicking accuracy during the same match. Despite his strong performance in open play, Libbok missed three out of five conversion attempts, adding to his inconsistent kicking form.
When asked about Libbok’s struggles, Erasmus mentioned that he is not responsible for the player’s kicking technique and that Tony Brown is working with him to improve. Erasmus compared Libbok’s situation to that of former player Naas Botha, who also experienced a downturn in form at some point in his career. While Libbok is going through a rough patch with his goal-kicking, his overall game play remains strong, making it a challenging situation for the coaching staff to address.
With Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s emergence as a reliable option at flyhalf, Erasmus highlighted the competition among the flyhalves in the team, including Handre Pollard, Damian Willemse, and Sacha. The coach acknowledged that there are talented new players in the squad who can contribute effectively, putting pressure on all the flyhalf options to perform at their best.
Erasmus is expected to announce the squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship in Australia shortly, where he will have to make a final decision on who will take on the crucial flyhalf role. The competition for the Number 10 jersey is heating up, and the coaching staff will have to carefully consider all factors before naming the starting lineup for the tournament.
Overall, the Springboks are in a promising position with multiple talented flyhalf options to choose from, providing depth and versatility in the crucial playmaking position. The team’s performance in the upcoming Rugby Championship will heavily rely on the decision made regarding the flyhalf role, and fans can expect an exciting battle for the starting position in the matches to come.