Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu says he is arriving in Argentina with a humble mindset as he prepares to make his long-awaited return to the Springbok starting line-up this Saturday.
The 24-year-old playmaker was named at flyhalf by head coach Rassie Erasmus for the one-off Test at the Estadio José Amalfitani. The selection marks an inspiring comeback for the rising star after ankle surgery sidelined him during the business end of the Stormers' United Rugby Championship campaign.
Set to earn his 20th Test cap, Feinberg-Mngomezulu was candid about his last outing against Los Pumas, a gruelling, narrow two-point victory in London. Far from complacent, he is focused entirely on correcting past tactical errors.
"It wasn’t my greatest game," Feinberg-Mngomezulu admitted. "I’ve got a couple of things to fix from that. They tested us in many areas; they smoked me once or twice, so I’m not coming in with a big head or anything like that. I am very humble and ready to just do my job."
Aiding his transition back into the international hot seat is veteran scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, who gets the nod alongside him in the halfback pairing. Feinberg-Mngomezulu credited the experienced No. 9 with absorbing the immense structural pressure that comes with steering the world champions.
"I love Cobus, I’ll never forget the first time we played the All Blacks; I wanted to take a shot at goal from distance, and he was the one who pointed me at the goal. That defines our relationship."
"He really takes me under his wing, but we’re also good buddies. Sharing the field with him takes a lot of pressure off me."
The path back to the green and gold jersey was not straightforward. The injury, sustained during the Stormers' URC quarter-final against Cardiff, disrupted what was shaping up to be a definitive season for the young back.
"Obviously it was disastrous when it happened, and it wasn’t enjoyable," he said. "Where we got so far in the URC, and just to get taken out of there, not be able to help my team, was frustrating, and then the Springbok equation was even more frustrating."
Rather than dwelling on the setback, Feinberg-Mngomezulu treated the rehabilitation period as an enforced tactical internship.
"I’m really not one to dwell," he explained. "I just used the time to look at the game from a more technical aspect and develop areas of my game I probably didn’t have time to do before."
Despite wrestling for the coveted Springbok No. 10 jersey, Feinberg-Mngomezulu dismissed any talk of a fierce rivalry with Handré Pollard, who is expected to provide heavily experienced cover from the bench.
"I don’t think people understand how much we help each other," he noted. "We really take care of each other, and there’s massive respect there."
"Even though I’m growing into this, this is going to be my 20th cap, and I still have the utmost respect for what he’s done for this team. Not for a second do I see him as competition. He is my mentor, my friend, and a great teammate to learn from."