Damian De Allende backs Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to be Springboks’ game-breaker again

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scores one of his three tries against Argentina in Durban
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scores one of his three tries against Argentina in DurbanPHILL MAGAKOE / AFP

Mercurial flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has such a bag of tricks that not even his South Africa teammates know what he will do next and inside centre Damian de Allende believes it is vital they lay the platform for the 23-year-old to flourish.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu put in a sensational individual performance when he crossed for three tries and scored a Springboks record 37 points in the 67-30 Rugby Championship defeat of Argentina in Durban last weekend.

He has been selected again for South Africa’s final fixture against the self-same Argentines at Twickenham on Saturday, where his game-breaking abilities could be key in the bid to retain the trophy.

"It's incredible (playing alongside Feinberg-Mngomezulu)," double World Cup winner De Allende told reporters on Wednesday. "I don't think Sacha knows what will happen next sometimes, which is a good thing.

"I do try and help him on the field, chat to him and tell him where the space is. But sometimes he sees a space before anyone else.

"And I think it's just important for, not just me, but all the guys around him to let him flourish and not take his time and space away. He can create a lot by himself."

With a talent such as Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who plays with huge self-confidence, there will be days where things do not go to plan, but De Allende says they will keep backing him.

"We must just make sure that we're there to support him when things aren't going that well, because they're not always going to work out," De Allende said. "But it was incredible to watch him on Saturday, he took those opportunities so well to score those tries.

"Having said that, the work we did as a team to get into those positions was incredible. And I think Sacha knows that, and we must never forget that."

South Africa will retain their Rugby Championship title with a bonus-point victory at Twickenham no matter what happens in the other match in Perth between Australia and New Zealand which kicks off earlier.

A victory without a bonus point will likely also be enough given the Springboks' vastly superior points difference over the second-placed All Blacks.

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