Springboks' flyhalf sensation under the knife

09/17/2024 04:00 PM

NEWS: The Springboks' new flyhalf sensation Sacha Feinbergh-Mngomezulu needs surgery and will only be ready to play for the Boks' outgoing Tour in November.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus revealed that the No. 10 injured his knee in the first Test against the All Blacks, but hinted that the youngster hid his injury.

"Sacha will only be ready for the end-of-year tour. He injured his knee before the first Test against the All Blacks and he played in that game.

"The next week on the Wednesday, I asked him why he was limping and he said he injured his knee last week. I wanted to pull him out of that team because he was limping, on the field even," the coach said.

"And that's what our players must understand. We have respect for everybody, but we must be honest when it comes to injuries.

"Nobody who's got an injury and 80% ready, is better than a Springbok who has no injuries and is 100% ready.

"So Sacha is lucky that we won those Test matches because he gambled a bit.

"He is having the operation now. I'm not sure exactly what is wrong with the knee but he will only be ready in four and a half weeks," Erasmus said.

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Other injured players in the bigger Bok squad who are on the mend and close to playing again, include Jean Kleyn who is featuring for Munster this weekend while RG Snyman and Franco Mostert both have another six weeks left.

Damian Willemse will be ready for action against Argentina in Mbombela.

Erasmus also revealed that Springbok captain Siya Kolisi will be in the coaches' box on Saturday to learn more about communication with the players on the pitch during a game.

Kolisi joined the touring squad to Argentina as a standby and was never intended to play.

"Siya was brought here not to play, but as standby, if someone gets injured.

"But also helping to prepare the team off the field while preparing for this important game.

"So it was always the plan that he wouldn't play," Erasmus explained.

The coach said the Bok captain, who has to go for an operation for the broken nose he sustained against the All Blacks, will only be tended to after the second Test against the Los Pumas in Mbombela.

"Siya can play in Mbombela next week and then he can have a reset so he will have it fixed after Mbombela.

"The one thing we also want to do is get Siya in the coaches box. We've Duane on the side who relays the messages to Siya and the decision makers on the field.

"But he actually doesn't know what is happening in that coaches box so we want to give him a feel of how we get to a decision or how we send a message down so that he understands the whole process.

"Two years ago Duane had a better understanding of how to interpret information he received and we hope to do the same with Siya this week.

Speaking about the challenge the Los Pumas will pose, Erasmus made it clear that it is never easy playing in Argentina against a very desperate side.

"They are doing things again that they did in the old days.

"They don't have a competition where their franchises can play.

"Their coach [Felipe Contepomi] brings them together and they go and beat New Zealand in New Zealand and they smash Australia.

"That just shows you there is massive character.

"They are also people that can go to the gutters and find a way - they can't just take the easy route. They always have to make a plan.

"And we've always felt it is one of the toughest places to play rugby, not because of a hostile crowd, not because of altitude.

"It's because their players are very desperate and they have a good coach who has been all over the world and he will bring a bit of Leinster taste into it, but they will have the Argentinian spirit which is tough to stop.