Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu knows better than most that life on the Springbok bench is less waiting room, more launchpad. One moment you’re chewing gum and tracking patterns, the next you’re thrown into the fray with the match teetering like a scrum on wheels.
The 22-year-old will don the No. 22 jersey against the Wallabies on Saturday evening at Cape Town Stadium as part of the infamous Bok “Bomb Squad,” that combustible cavalry called in to swing contests at crunch time. Whether he’s required at flyhalf, fullback, or centre will depend entirely on the shape of the game, or the misfortune of an injury.
I could also be coming on for an injury. I experienced that against Ireland last year when I replaced Willie le Roux in the second minute. There are a lot of situations that could happen. I think just sitting next to the line on the bench and staying in touch with Felix Jones on the side sets you up best for whether you are coming on in the first minute or the 79th minute.
In a must-win clash to keep their Rugby Championship hopes flickering, the Boks will need their young utility back to be less a passenger, more a pilot parachuting in mid-flight. And Feinberg-Mngomezulu gets that.
So just staying in touch with the game, and knowing what the team needs when I come on … If I can do that, along with the other guys in the ‘Bomb Squad,’ I think we will be alright.
A Balancing Act: Maverick vs Machine
Coach Rassie Erasmus has already challenged the Stormers star to strike the balance between his instinctive, free-spirited play and the Bok blueprint. Feinberg-Mngomezulu admits it’s a lesson still being learned.
I think it’s going to take a bit of time. But the coach is spot on. We saw this past weekend what can happen when we drift away from our system and the fundamentals that make us successful.
That’s definitely something I’m trying to hope into. It’s been a focus for the last three weeks, and it’s something I’m constantly growing into.
When you enforce the Bok fundamentals, that’s when the team really thrives. That’s when we put ourselves in positions we want and the opposition in positions they don’t want.
That maturity is rare in a youngster still juggling three positions and learning at the feet of veterans like Handré Pollard.
There’s a difference with having the big dogs like Handré here. It means there’s a ladder to climb, but learning from guys like him, while juggling the act of 12 and 15, can only grow my game.
To put the Bok jersey on is special every time you do it, whether it is a No 22, a 12, a 15, a 10 or even a 6. Regardless of what number is on my back, I will do whatever is needed to help the Springboks.
Eyeing O’Connor and Aussie Threats
Feinberg-Mngomezulu has also kept a beady eye on Wallaby veteran James O’Connor, the man pulling strings in gold. The Boks were cut apart by his width last weekend, but the youngster insists they’ve found answers.
I think he had a solid game. I wish him a solid game, but I think we’ll be able to tie him down better. In the first 20 minutes he kind of felt what we’re about. So just bringing a replica of that would do us good. Those passes he got out over the top, we’ve analysed how and why that happened, and we think we have the solutions to prevent it.
Defence, the Bok calling card, has been under the microscope this week after conceding six tries in Johannesburg. But Feinberg-Mngomezulu isn’t panicking.
We have a defensive system where we apply pressure on the opposition, and sometimes you have to concede a few metres on the edges. It’s something we’re aware of, and it’s not new to us. We haven’t focused on it too much. There were system errors leading up to those wide passes, and we’ve worked on fixing that. Sometimes you have to give the opposition the bridge pass, let it happen, and scramble like we always do to catch them on the next phase.
Playing the Situation
Adaptability. That’s the word Feinberg-Mngomezulu circles back to, like a backline move rehearsed until muscle memory takes over. For him, the bench isn’t limbo, it’s a live wire.
As a reserve, a lot depends on the situation, whether you’re chasing the game or closing it out. Just staying in touch with the game as it develops sets us up best, and that’s why the ‘Bomb Squad’ is usually ready to go when we come on.
Come Saturday, Feinberg-Mngomezulu won’t just be waiting. He’ll be listening, learning, and ready to ignite. Because when the Boks need a spark, sometimes it’s the fuse off the bench that makes the loudest bang.
