Springboks center-half Handre Pollard stated that he has been “impressed” in training by emerging star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and thinks he brings a great deal of value to the team.

The former Junior Springboks captain, Feinberg-Mgomezulu, has long been regarded as a major talent for the future, and he is beginning to move in the right direction.

The gifted young player just made his Test debut for the Springboks against Wales at Twickenham, coming off the bench. His calmness and length of time on the ball, together with his penalty kick that went over 50 meters and had everyone talking after the game, made for a really remarkable cameo.

As a player who can play three different backline positions, Feinberg-Mngomezulu essentially steps into the role of the injured Damian Willemse, which crucially allows the 6-2 split on the bench to be viable.

Pollard highlighted that it’s not just the youngster’s skill-set but also work ethic and how he sees the game that has impressed the two-time Rugby World Cup winner.

“I’ve been very, very impressed. I’ve watched him for a couple years now playing for the Stormers, but his understanding of the game, work ethic, and he’s an unbelievably skilled player,” Pollard told reporters.

“I’m really excited to see how he goes with the longer he stays in the system, the more he plays and the more time he gets in the group.

His inclusion is a really good thing, and it’s just creating more depth in every position as he can play 10, 12, 15, so he is a great guy to have in the squad.”

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One in, one out

Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s inclusion comes at the expense of fly-half Manie Libbok, whose erratic goal-kicking and subsequently lack of confidence certainly played a role in the selection, although head coach Rassie Erasmus insists it is down to versatility.

Libbok was part of the last game between the sides where South Africa lost 13-8 to Ireland in the World Cup pool stage, with missed points off the kicking tee making the difference on that day.