Feinberg-Mngomezulu will run out in the No 10 jersey against the Wallabies in the opening Test of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday, with the experienced Reinach saying the entire team have the flyhalf’s back and want him to go out there and showcase his true talent.
The Test will be Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s fifth in the green and gold jersey and will mark his first start, along with No 8 Elrigh Louw, but the young pivot will be surrounded by several Rugby World Cup-winners, one of which is Reinach, to guide him and allow him to express himself.
“I haven’t really played alongside him (Sacha) yet, but he’s shown that he’s got a good rugby head, and that he’s a hugely talented player with that X-factor, so we want to see him go out there and enjoy the occasion,” said Reinach, who made his Bok debut almost a decade ago against Australia in Cape Town.
“He has the backing of the entire team, and we’ll stand together under pressure, so he just needs to go out there and be himself.”
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
With the Springboks currently holding the ranking as the No 1 team in the world – eight positions above Australia who are in ninth place – Reinach said that statistic, along with the Wallabies’ good track record against the Springboks on their home turf, would only make them hungrier to make a strong statement.
“They have a new coach and new players, so there’s no doubt they’ll be desperate, especially since they are going in search of their fifth win in a row, so we need to go out there and execute our game plan as effectively as possible,” he said.
“There was a time when we also dropped down the world rankings and didn’t play good rugby, but that just made us more desperate as a team, and Australia is now in a similar situation. So, it’s vital that we stick to our structures and pitch up mentally and physically.”
Of the possibility of lining up against Nic White, Reinach said: “He’s a great player, and he likes to get into your head and take you off task, so the main thing for us will be to remain calm and stay focused on the job at hand. As a team we are determined as a team to go out there and put up a performance that both us and the country can be proud of.”
Springbok prop Ox Nche also expected a big battle in the scrums, saying: “Their scrummaging can be very unpredictable, and they are a team that stays in the contest, so it will be important for us to get go-forward and try to dominate that area of the game.
“That said, it is going to be a big challenge, so we have to be prepared for anything they throw at us.”
The prop, who will earn his 32nd Test cap this weekend, was comfortable with the Boks’ preparations for the new 30-second scrum set law, but he said it was something they had to adapt to as quickly as possible.
“That (law) shouldn’t be a problem for us because it’s something we’ve been looking at since before the law changes were brought in,” said Nche. “The key will obviously be to adapt as quickly as possible, and hopefully things will go well for us.”
The match kicks off at 06h45 (SA time) on Saturday and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
