Jean de Villiers: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu ‘still needs to grow’ while Springboks have been ‘totally different’ with Manie Libbok
Springboks fly-halves Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Manie Libbok
Springboks legend Jean de Villiers has hailed the performances of Manie Libbok and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the crushing victory over Argentina in Durban.
It was a statement performance from Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who broke the record for the most points by a Springbok player in a single Test match, scoring three tries, eight conversions and two penalties for a ludicrous 37-point haul.
The commanding shift from the 23-year-old has understandably garnered much praise, and while De Villiers has hailed the ‘phenomenal performance’, he still believes there is a lot of room for growth for the young playmaker.
The ex-Springboks captain also singled out Libbok, who scored a stunning solo try in the 67-30 victory over Los Pumas, for praise. The 28-year-old was scrutinised for his performance against Australia at Ellis Park earlier in the competition, but was central to the 43-10 thrashing of New Zealand in Wellington.
The rise of Sacha
De Villiers believes that the fly-half has been a key cog in the attacking evolution of the Springboks team since the addition of assistant coach Tony Brown.
“Manie Libbok was very much part of the evolution of the team and where they want to go with the attack, and then it was the rise of Sacha,” the former centre remarked on the Good, Bad and Rugby AUNZ podcast.
“Sacha has shown what he can do, but this weekend, getting the start, putting up a performance like he did – you can just see that he is such a talented rugby player.
“I still think that in terms of managing a match and bringing the rest of the backline into the game, he will still grow into that.
“That is the element of his game where he still needs to grow, but that comes with time. But his individual skillset and what he did at the weekend, and when he just reacts, sees something and executes that.”
While many were surprised by Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s outstanding showing in Durban, De Villiers was not. “It was a phenomenal performance, and I don’t think many South Africans were surprised by that because he has done it before,” he added.
Libbok’s impact
Ex-Australia hooker Jeremy Paul likened the Springbok to a legendary Wallaby, saying: “He is a freak. It was very much like Stephen Larkham.
“Mind you, it does help when you have got forwards as South Africa and you are going forward.”
De Villiers reserved further praise for Libbok’s cameo against the Pumas as he believes that the Boks’ attack stepped up a notch when he came onto the pitch.
“We speak about Sacha’s performance, but when Manie Libbok came on, he was fizzing the ball, and the attacking nature of the team was totally different with him on the field,” he said.
“When you have a base like that and a pack going forward that is so dominant, it’s brilliant for a backline player. To then bring a guy like Manie on, it’s such a fortunate position to be in.”
READ MORE: Springbok hero touted as ‘superstar in the making’ by All Blacks legends
