Victor Matfield Explains Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s Struggles Amid Springboks No.10 Battle
- Springboks legend Victor Matfield attributed Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's difficult 2026 run to second-year syndrome
- Feinberg-Mngomezulu was sin-binned during the Springboks' 29-24 win over the All Blacks and faced further scrutiny for other on-field incidents
- Matfield acknowledged a three-way battle for the Springboks' number 10 jersey but still tipped Feinberg-Mngomezulu to claim it
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Springboks legend Victor Matfield has expressed confidence that Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will find his footing again after another difficult outing in the 29-24 victory over the All Blacks on Saturday.
The 24-year-old fly-half has struggled for consistency throughout the 2026 season, both for the Stormers and at international level following his return from injury. Although he has started all three Tests in the current series against New Zealand, his displays have drawn mounting criticism.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu's ill-discipline costs Springboks
The latest match proved particularly testing for the playmaker. After moving to full-back when Cheslin Kolbe suffered a broken jaw in the ninth minute, Feinberg-Mngomezulu was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on. He then narrowly escaped a second yellow card, which would have been upgraded to red, following a cynical breakdown infringement in the lead-up to Ardie Savea's second try, and again avoided punishment for taking a New Zealand player in the air.
Speaking on the Rivals podcast, Matfield offered context rather than criticism.
"Sacha has the X-factor; he's going through that second-year syndrome when the first year everything just worked, whereas now he has to work for it," he said.
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Feinberg-Mngomezulu made his Test debut in 2024, starting three matches before injury cut his season short. It was in 2025 that he truly established himself as the Springboks' first-choice pivot, but the expectations that followed appear to be weighing on him.
Three-way battle for the number 10 shirt
With Manie Libbok stepping in at fly-half after Kolbe's exit, Matfield took the opportunity to assess all three options available to the Springboks coaching staff. He praised Libbok's ability to open up the game, noting that both of South Africa's tries came from his wide passing, while highlighting Handré Pollard's value as a conservative game-manager capable of controlling matches through the kicking game.
Despite the current competition for places, Matfield maintained that Feinberg-Mngomezulu remains the likely long-term answer.
"We still don't know who the guy who will take that 10 jersey, I still think it will probably be Sacha; he just needs to work through this second-year syndrome," he said.
Matfield also highlighted a positive moment from Feinberg-Mngomezulu's performance in the second half at full-back.
"I thought in the second half he really stepped up, even though he was at 15. Those kicks he had to make, and his physicality on defence is unbelievable," Matfield added.
The former lock believes the key challenge for the young playmaker is learning to build pressure rather than chasing moments of brilliance.
"He will need to learn how to build pressure and when the opportunity comes, you take it, because he's got all the skills for that," Matfield concluded.
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Source: Briefly News
