Feinberg-Mngomezulu on Dan Carter talk: ‘I’m nowhere near that level

SACHA Feinberg-Mngomezulu may have just walked off with one of South African rugby's most coveted individual honours, but the young Springboks flyhalf insists he’s nowhere near the summit of his abilities.

- LEIGHTON KOOPMAN

SPRINGBOK flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scores one of his three tries earlier this year against Argentina in Durban. He contributed 37 points in a 67-30 victory at Kings Park, but despite a breakout season, the youngster says he still has a lot to learn on the international stage.

(BackpagePix)

Awarded the MyPlayers Springbok Players’ Player of the Year after a breakout season in green and gold, he speaks more like a student than a superstar — a grounded playmaker who sees mentorship, competition and reflection as the fuel for his rise.

At the heart of his development, Feinberg-Mngomezulu says, is the daily proximity to seasoned maestros like Manie Libbok and Handré Pollard. Both World Cup winners. Both with vastly different styles. And both, in his words, “priceless reference points” for a young No 10 learning to navigate Test rugby's hardest edges.

Their contrasting games — Libbok’s instinctive sparkle and Pollard’s ice-cold control — offer Feinberg-Mngomezulu a front-row seat to international rugby at the top level. He credits them not only for his technical refinement but also for helping him stay composed amid the intense expectations that come with wearing the Springbok flyhalf jersey.