Hendrie Pollard's injury provides Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu with an opportunity to demonstrate his talent in the match against the All Blacks. Springboks fans may feel relieved if Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts the game as a playmaker in the center of the field on Saturday evening at Cape Town Stadium.
The 24-year-old player joined the squad after a sudden injury ruled out Hendrie Pollard. Despite receiving criticism for unimpressive performances against Argentina, Feinberg-Mngomezulu views this situation as an immediate chance for redemption upon his return from injury, and also in last week's match against the All Blacks.
Although he admits his performance at Ellis Park was not outstanding, he managed to gain valuable insight into the All Blacks' tactics, which he believes will help him in the future. Previously, last year, Pollard started in the epic match at Eden Park, which ended in a loss for the Boks; however, in the rematch seven days later in Wellington, Feinberg-Mngomezulu took charge of the team, and they played successfully.
As a mitigating factor for his subpar performance last week, the team was tactically outnumbered and beaten. The All Blacks perfectly executed their tactics, especially in the battle for the ball, where Grant Williams faced immense pressure. The usually dynamic Williams appeared indecisive, which negatively affected the entire backline, starting with the playmaker.
Rassie Erasmus and his staff spent a full week preparing a response to the ball-winning problem. The return of Siya Kolisi on the wing also helped. Kolisi's absence was noticeable, and his powerful presence in the rucks will be warmly welcomed by this week's starting halfback, Kobus Reinach. In turn, Feinberg-Mngomezulu is likely to receive more possession and more playing time, which could drastically change the course of the match.
While Boks fans sympathize with Pollard, who is missing a golden opportunity and whose calming presence would be invaluable, he is not being replaced by a newcomer. Feinberg-Mngomezulu has already played 21 matches for the national team and scored nine goals. He is not an inexperienced player thrown into a difficult situation; his international record is impressive, and he has proven that he possesses the skills and vision to score and create opportunities at a high level.
Therefore, he is not expected to 'play like Pollard'; Boks fans ask him to be himself. With the support of 55,000 dedicated fans at Cape Town Stadium, he has every chance to show the game he is capable of. Ultimately, he is too good to play three bad matches in a row, and perhaps on Saturday evening, Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will remind everyone why the Springboks rely on him so heavily.