Rassie Erasmus is pleased with yet another prominent step forward in the development of star flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at international level.
The 23-year-old delivered yet another assured performance in the Bok No 10 jersey, scoring two tries and contributing a total of 16 points in the 61-7 rout of Japan at Wembley on Saturday.
“He played for the SA A side three years ago and has been working hard with the coaches,” said Erasmus. “It was a wet game against a Japanese team we’ve struggled to put away before, and he was physical for a No 10. He kicked well, tackled well, and has that magic feel for the game. With him, Manie [Libbok] and Handre [Pollard], we’re in a good place at flyhalf.”
Erasmus admits he was surprised by the margin of victory, given South Africa’s past struggles against Japan.
We’ll never forget Brighton,” he said, referring to Japan’s famous 2015 World Cup upset. “We’ve only beaten them three times, and even in the 2019 quarter-final they pushed us. Eddie [Jones] is a great coach, so I didn’t expect this score.
But for me, it was more about how the players approached the game, the respect they showed and the physicality they brought. Everything wasn’t perfect, but I’m pleased with the intensity.”
The Bok boss says the focus now shifts to a far sterner test against France in Paris next weekend.
“We know what it’s like to play France away – the passion, the atmosphere, it’s a pressure cooker. We beat them in the [2023] World Cup quarter-final, but that was a tight one, and we’ll need to do some intelligent and physical stuff to get it right again.
“We’ve got depth and experience, but it’s a totally different ball game going there. We’re building, but we have to keep reminding one another that the bar keeps rising.”
