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South Africa announced Sacha Feinberg‑Mngomezulu as the outside‑half for the second Test against New Zealand in Cape Town after Handré Pollard suffered a niggle and failed a fitness test, altering the team's set‑piece strategy for the match.
South Africa have named Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at outhalf for the second Test against New Zealand in Cape Town. Photograph: Christiaan Kotze/Inpho/Steve Haag Sports had sought to lean further on the Springboks’ set-piece strengths by selecting Handré Pollard at outhalf for the second Test againstin Cape Town, suggesting a narrow game plan.
A return to the tried and tested. A reliance on what he knows best.
Then came news of the “niggle”. Out goes Pollard, who, according to the Friday morning bulletin, suffered said niggle in training on Wednesday and failed a fitness test 24 hours before the match, and back comes the far more adventurous Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu into the No 10 jersey.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu struggled in last week’s 33-16 defeat at Ellis Park, as he did on his comeback from injury against Argentina earlier this month, but the 24-year-old has a skill set that has marked him out as a future global star. The upshot is that South Africa head to the Mother City for their must-win match against the All Blacks with a completely different type of outhalf.
Pollard is experienced, reliable from the tee and, as Erasmus said this week, has delivered “under extreme pressure” time and again for the Springboks. His nerveless goal-kicking guided them to the 2023 World Cup title and, in what are forecast to be wet conditions, South Africa’s initial approach seemed clear. As Erasmus had said when reflecting on his side’s game management in the first Test, “we made a lot of stupid calls. Three points is two less than five .
Handré is a guy that has always done it for us. ”Jack Crowley ruled out until new year in huge blow for Munster outhalf‘It’s a very, very high calibre of people’ – Leinster CEO delighted with candidates for new head coach In turn, it is a fair conclusion to reach that the approach changes somewhat with the introduction of Feinberg-Mngomezulu, while the return of Cheslin Kolbe, who has also replaced Kurt-Lee Arendse in the starting XV as of Friday, is significant because he will assume goalkicking duties.
It does not take much looking on social media, however, to find the conspiracy theorists spouting what, truth be told, most of us are wondering – was this a classic piece of misdirection from Erasmus? Was it the plan all along? Erasmus’s previous further fuels that particular fire as does the convenience of recalling Kolbe to kick at goal, but Pollard’s selection did make a degree of sense.
In the 2023 World Cup semi-final against England, Erasmus hooked Manie Libbok after just half an hour, sending on Pollard to steer the Boks home. When the chips are down, Pollard is the Springboks’ go-to move. As the 1995 World Cup winning captain Joel Stransky says, “Handré brings maturity and stability, and an ability to close the game off.
I think there’s a bit of a message in that saying we might just go back to what we used to do best and maybe not the running game. ” Cheslin Kolbe comes in for Kurt-Lee Arendse on the right wing for South Africa. Photograph: Gianluigi Guercia/AFP via Getty Images New Zealand have clearly been preparing to face Pollard, and the type of game plan he would carry out, and as a result will have to adapt on the hoof.
But to what extent can the same be said for the Springboks? Injuries, of course, happen and South Africa are not the first side to possess a variety of options at outhalf. But the significance here is that his particular selection speaks to the identity of the Springboks just a year out from their tilt at a third straight World Cup title.
Do they intend to try to defend it with the set-piece heavy game plan that has served them so well or, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu running the show, to do so with more creativity and imagination? It is to South Africa’s credit that hitherto in the World Cup cycle, they have looked a side perfectly equipped to do both. But when the “extreme pressure” comes on, which way will they turn? Erasmus has been forced to change tack at the 11th hour.
On the face of it. The All Blacks, for their part, will try to ignore the disruption. They are walking tall after ending South Africa’s run of 12 straight victories and the penny has dropped that, whoever is playing at outhalf for the Springboks, the scrum contest will be pivotal in Cape Town.
Such was South Africa’s profligacy in the New Zealand 22 last week, the All Blacks ran out comfortable winners despite conceding six scrum penalties in a barrage by the Boks. That they were able to turn the tide, winning a crucial scrum penalty of their own near their own line, and achieve relative parity thereafter was key to their victory; Dave Rennie wasted little time in flagging concerns this week over South African tactics.
“Scrum-wise, we’ve spoken with World Rugby around a couple of issues from our point of view, and so we think – scrum-wise – we’ll be a lot better,” Rennie said. “That was massive for them last week. We think if they’re forced to scrum square and not allowed to step sidewards and walk around us, then we’ll be able to stay in front and we’ll be able to get the footie going off that.
” As pre-match comments go, they are about as predictable as a late Springboks team change but, with rain expected, the close-quarters battle is to be the most significant aspect of the match on Saturday. Having lost 43-10 in Wellington last year, a week after edging home in Auckland, the All Blacks know the Bok-lash is coming.
– GuardianDamian Willemse; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Ethan Hooker; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach; Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, Wilco Louw; Eben Etzebeth, Ruan Nortje; Siya Kolisi , Pieter-Steph du Toi, Jasper Wiese. Deon Fourie, Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit, Lood de Jager, Andre Esterhuizen, Cameron Hanekom, Morne van den Berg, Manie Libbok.
Damian McKenzie; Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie Barrett, Leroy Carter; Ruben Love, Cam Roigard; George Bower, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax; Fabian Holland, Tupou Vaa’i; Simon Parker, Luke Jacobson, Ardie Savea . Munster brace for ‘relentless’ Leinster in interpro final as they target back-to-back titlesJack Crowley ruled out until new year in huge blow for Munster outhalfPatients can now dispose of unused and out-of-date medicines in any pharmacyIrish woman named as Spanish police await postmortems on couple found dead in hot tubLATEST STORIES ‘Your father’s playing golf in Doonbeg,’ Hennessy goes. ‘While the cat’s away, the mice will fornicate’
South Africa New Zealand Rugby Sacha Feinberg‑Mngomezulu Handré Pollard
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