Boks rooted in the present but are gazing ahead

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was loath to call Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s selection ahead of double World Cup-winning flyhalf Handré Pollard as a changing of the guard in the build-up to Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test against Australia.

He does, however, recognise that fast-tracking the 22-year-old’s experience in the green and gold jersey will stand the Springboks in good stead as they put the building blocks in place for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

“We can’t look too far ahead, then you forget the present. But we also can’t just look at the present,” said a slightly conflicted Erasmus when asked about Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s elevation above Pollard, who has been earmarked for the bench in Brisbane.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu and No 8 Elrigh Louw will make their first starts for the Boks in the Rugby Championship opener in a team that strongly resembles the one that did duty in the second Test against Ireland.

Erasmus was keen to point out that the Boks are in a gradual transition and that nine of the players in his touring party weren’t regular selections ahead of the next World Cup.

“It is a squad of 45 players trying to win each Test match while wearing a hat for the future. They have to earn their stripes to change the guard,” explained Erasmus.

“I won’t call it a changing of the guard. It is giving opportunity while guys like Handré and Manie [Libbok] help nurture these guys to Test match level. This is his [Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s] fifth cap. We used to say we don’t want to go to the World Cup with a guy under eight or nine caps. It has been well documented that no World Cup has been won with a flyhalf younger than 24 years old. Rather blood a guy now and give him proper backup, some nice experience with guys like Damian [de Allende] on his outside.”

Placing huge expectations on himself, Feinberg-Mngomezulu can be highly strung, especially when things don’t entirely go his way. In that department inside centre De Allende recognises he has a role to play.

“He is well spoken and he brings a lot of confidence,” he said of Feinberg-Mngomezulu. “It is his first start and he will be quite nervous. I hope he’ll be nice and composed. When he is composed and expresses himself he is exceptional. I’ll try to keep him composed.”

Erasmus recalled that the player came through their structures and that they know him well. “With guidelines about how we want to play he must bring Sacha to the table. We know what Manie does when he is on fire. We are hoping to create that environment where he can be himself and bring his natural talent, like all the other guys.”

Louw, who broke a two-year absence from the squad when he came off the bench against Portugal in Bloemfontein, cracks the nod for the first time in the starting team.

Erasmus emphasised that the loose forward is a product of the system and that he had blipped on their radar. “It is nice to be playing his fifth cap, not his first. He can play seven and eight. He certainly is a physical player, an aggressive player.

“It is not his first start; he can’t be too nervous. He’s quite settled and playing with a lot of guys he knows. Hopefully he’s nice and calm and brings the physical side of things.”

He said it was bad luck on Evan Roos for not being selected and now having to undergo an operation.

There is concern over the fitness of lock RG Snyman, which means Ruan Nortjé is on standby for Saturday’s Test.

Springbok squad: Willie le Roux; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach; Elrigh Louw, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (capt), RG Snyman, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche.

Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Ben-Jason Dixon, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Grant Williams, Handré Pollard.