Sacha’s a work in progress
Nick Mallett says Springbok attack coach Tony Brown will play a key role in the development of flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
The 23-year-old wore the No 10 jersey against Georgia in Nelspruit last Saturday, showing glimpses of his attacking flair during the Boks’ 55-10 win.
However, he had an off-day with the boot – missing his first three conversion attempts – and was replaced by Handre Pollard in the second half.
Coach Rassie Erasmus revealed after the match that Feinberg-Mngomezulu had sustained a hip injury in the warm-up but had wanted to play.
“He played a typically Sacha game – elusive, great pace, weaving in and out of traffic,” Mallett said on the Talking Boks podcast. “But his goal-kicking wasn’t where it should be. That’s usually an area where he has the edge over someone like Manie Libbok. And his distribution wasn’t as sharp either.”
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Mallett emphasised that Feinberg-Mngomezulu is still developing and that Brown’s influence will be crucial.
“He’s not the finished product at 10. He’s a work in progress, and he’ll get better – if he listens and embraces the role.
“Tony’s presence is massive. He’ll help Sacha understand that a flyhalf’s job is to make others look good – to cut down on errors and bring the best out of the players around him.
“It’s about learning when to shine, and when to steer the ship.”
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Photo: Johann Meintjes/Gallo Images