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BOK FEATURE: The playoff king, all-round wizard, and the creative genius

rugby17 July 2025 06:00| © SuperSport
By:Gavin Rich
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Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu © Gallo Images

When Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts for the Springboks against Georgia on Saturday he will be the first player to have worn the No 10 twice this season. That is factoring in the game that didn’t qualify as an official test match against the Barbarians.

However, when you look at the game time each player has had in the position, coach Rassie Erasmus has not favoured any flyhalf more than any other. Feinberg-Mngomezulu started against the Barbarians, but only played one half.

Manie Libbok played the other half, and then played the full 80 minutes of the second test against Italy in Gqeberha. Libbok also featured in the 45-0 win at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, but as a fullback replacement in the second half.

Handre Pollard started and finished the first game against Italy in Pretoria. Judging from some of Erasmus’ recent comments, where he’s included Pollard on his list of utility players, we can’t completely rule out him coming on at inside centre in the second half against Georgia.

But it is more likely to be at flyhalf, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu perhaps moving to centre or fullback, which would mean Pollard will end this initial phase of the international season having played three halves in four games, just like Libbok. Assuming Pollard replaces him and doesn’t shift position, Feinberg-Mngomezulu would have played two halves at 10 but played the equivalent of at least another half in other positions.

What is Rassie up to with all this rotation? There are not many teams in world rugby, either now or historically, who’d do what Erasmus is doing. Most coaches like to have a first choice that gets to own the position, with perhaps one other player getting some time there so that he can be ready if needed.

Yet there is method to Erasmus’ thinking, and the Bok coach’s rotation system is laying the seed for an awesome array of options for Rugby World Cup 2027 and the potential for unprecedented adaptability of playing style.

HENDRIKSE BEING MARGINALISED SHOWS THE DEPTH

That the Boks right now have easily their most talented pool of flyhalves since the start of the professional era can be underlined by the fact that Jordan Hendrikse, who played two games at 10 for the Boks last year, is not part of the current squad.

Yes, Hendrikse has a lot to learn about game management and that is no doubt what Erasmus would have told him to go and work on when he was dropped from the squad. But the Sharks player is blessed with extraordinary talent and in any other era we would be talking about him with considerable excitement as a future star.

Damian Willemse, who was at flyhalf and man of the match in a great South African win at Twickenham in 2022 that ended Eddie Jones’ stint as England coach, is probably the fourth Bok option. So Hendrikse is only fifth.

Erasmus though is right now focusing on a trio of players and as they all give him something different, he is right to do so. He should also be only too aware that by the time the next World Cup in Australia arrives, one or maybe even two of his flyhalves could be injured.

When the Boks went to France in 2023 they were initially without Pollard, who was injured, while the alternative flyhalf for most of that World Cup cycle, Elton Jantjies, had fallen off the bus for other reasons.

TWELVE MONTH SEASON MAKES A POOL OF 10s CRUCIAL

With the Boks now committed to what is effectively a 12 month season because of their commitment to the southern hemisphere season at international level and the northern season at club level, the chances of there being several injuries when the global event arrives in 2027 are high.

“The 12 month season means we are going to struggle to keep everyone fit and it would not be at all surprising if we get to the next World Cup with several players out injured, so it is understandable that he is driving to reach a position where there isn’t a huge difference between his flyhalves,” says former Bok coach Nick Mallett.

He would probably qualify adding that there’s little difference in quality but there are differences in style. It suits the Boks to have players who fit different moulds that therefore lead to an adaptability in playing style and the past two weekends have born this out. Against Italy in the first game Pollard was the personification of steadiness.

He kicked his goals, he delivered what has made him a double World Cup winner. But with the Loftus game not being a World Cup final, there was a feeling the Boks were more laboured on attack than was hoped for against an Italy team that was passionate and physical and yet considerably understrength.

The upshot of that was that the Boks felt they needed to make a statement in the following game in Gqeberha. Although no-one said it, you got the feeling the Boks felt they needed to get 60. They didn’t achieve that, but then considering they lost Jasper Wiese to a red card, they made an excellent fist of it.

Libbok was at flyhalf and like was the case when the Boks sought a similar statement big win over Argentina in the final game of last year’s Rugby Championship, his creative wizardry, most notably his distribution skills, were what had the Italians floundering.

STEADY EDDIE VERSUS MISTER FLASH

Whereas Pollard is the Steady Eddie in the group, and is the man you might want to warp in cotton wool and bring out to win you the clutch moments in a World Cup final, because there is no-one in the game with better BMT and his nerves of steel, Libbok is the man you employ when you want to win with some flash and style.

It may not be a coincidence that some of the most noteworthy high scoring games, the 35-7 win over New Zealand before the last World Cup, the win this past weekend and the rout of the Pumas last September, have featured Libbok.

“It all depends on the style of rugby you want to play on that day (which flyhalf you pick),” is Mallett’s summation.

“There’s no question that Manie is a guy who gets the backline going. He is a flyhalf who is always looking for space for other people. He runs onto the ball beautifully, so he’s also a threat himself. The timing of his pass is excellent and the width of his pass is outstanding.

“The (Italy) scrumhalf read the play but Manie still got around him to set up that try to Edwill van der Merwe from an attack that started just outside our 22. Of all the flyhalves he is the best at bringing the players around him. It is just a question of whether he is still the best option in wet weather.

“Is his goalkicking going to be up to Pollard’s standard or is it up to Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s standard? And you also have to look at him defensively, as in where does he rate there when the opposition are winning 50 per cent of the ball. We do have great options there.”

SACHA BUILDING AS THE ALL-ROUNDER

While Pollard is the current playoff king, the allrounder in the group is the man who will wear the No 10 against Georgia. People forget that Feinberg-Mngomezulu is still inexperienced as a flyhalf at first class level, let alone test match level. He does still have aspects of his game that need working on, and those who know him believe he is smart enough to know that.

Currently he’s serving an apprenticeship, and it is why we might still flit between positions, but he’s nailed down his spot as a specialist flyhalf at franchise level (the Stormers), while the coaches he has working with him are the perfect fit for what he needs.

Indeed, the Bok attack coach Tony Brown might sometimes wish he’d had a coach like Erasmus in charge of the All Blacks when he was playing. Brown was a wonderful player and would have been the first choice of many other nations, but his career overlapped with the latter parts of Andrew Mehrtens and Carlos Spencer’s time with the All Blacks, and the beginning of the Dan Carter era.

So Brown, although he did end his career with 18 All Black caps, he was in effect for a long time where Hendrikse is now - the third or fourth choice on the outside looking in.

Not that he’s alone among Kiwis in that regard - Aaron Cruden would have played much more international rugby had his career not overlapped with Carter’s, and if Erasmus needed a reminder on why depth he needs to work with a group of flyhalves, it was when the All Blacks had to go low down the ranks and call veteran Stephen Donald back from a fishing trip to help them out in the 2011 World Cup final.

If Feinberg-Mngomezulu is fit for a World Cup final he is the man who should by then be able to give the Boks the best of both worlds - a player who is a wizard on attack, both with his running and handling skills and his deft kicking touch from a very flat lining position at first receiver, and the ability with the length of his field kicking boot to boss a territory game should it be required.

“I think in time Sacha will become the man to do the job and it is very important to have a guy like Tony Brown around who can really talk him through things. Tony will be a massive help to him, as he will be for Pollard,” said Mallett.

“You never stop learning as a player and I am sure that Pollard is picking up a huge amount of information about how to play as an attacking flyhalf and how to play for those around him. I am not saying that Pollard is playing badly. He’s just come off a great season with Leicester Tigers. He has a wonderful kicking game, he is calm under pressure, he has so much going for him.”

INTERESTING SELECTION IMMINENT FOR ALL BLACK GAME

That though is all taking the long term view with a World Cup as the ultimate objective. The more immediate goal for the Boks, and the one where they will need to go with the player Erasmus currently thinks is the best man for the job, is the clash with the All Blacks in Auckland that is now only three games away.

Much can happen between now and then, but it could well be Libbok that is required at Eden Park, a venue where it is possible that, like when the Boks broke a long drought against the All Blacks in Wellington in 2018, it might require the Boks to score 30 points or more. It was 32 that Mallett predicted would be needed seven years ago, and he thinks it might be a similar story now.

“For the games in New Zealand we will need the ability to create try scoring opportunities, and those come from the No 9 and the No 10 and their ability to make the right decisions. How to get the backline moving, when they call for the forwards to take it up, when they want the ball, how flat they take it.

“The New Zealanders scored 30 odd points twice against France. It was a changed up France team, but it was still a competent France team. So it is hard to think of the All Blacks not scoring three or four tries. We will most likely need between 20 and 30 points, probably 30, to beat them at Eden Park.

“If we can do that with Pollard taking it to the line and creating for the backline then well and good.

"However if Pollard is stuttering a bit and our attack is just about taking the ball around the corner and hoisting up and unders, then we are going to struggle to score the number of tries we need. So maybe we do need a flyhalf there for that game who can create for those around him. 


“It is asking a lot for one person to be a flyhalf who can be a creator, a good goalkicker and a good tactical kicker all at the same time. But the All Blacks had that for a long time in Dan Carter.”

In time the Boks may have that in Feinberg-Mngomezulu, but right now they have a pool of pivots that have a perfect and necessary blend.

BOK FLYHALF FACT FILE

Handre Pollard

Age: 31

School: Paarl Gimnasium

Club/Provincial team: In process of moving from Leicester Tigers back to Vodacom Bulls

Springbok caps: 81

Manie Libbok

Age: 28

School: HTS Daniel Pienaar (Uitenhage) and Outeniqua (George)

Club/Provincial team: Leaving DHL Stormers for Japan

Springbok caps: 20

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

Age: 23

School: Bishops

Club/Provincial team: DHL Stormers

Springbok caps: 9

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