Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will retain the Springbok No 10 jersey for Saturday's Greatest Rivalry finale in Baltimore, with Rassie Erasmus prioritising consistency over the clamour for Manie Libbok to start.
The 24-year-old has endured a difficult campaign in 2026, first with the Stormers and then across three Tests against New Zealand. In Soweto, where the Springboks edged the All Blacks 29-24 to take a 2-1 series lead, Feinberg-Mngomezulu was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on and narrowly avoided a second yellow for a cynical breakdown infringement in the build-up to Ardie Savea's second try. He also escaped sanction for taking an opponent in the air. The fly-half shifted to full-back in the ninth minute after Cheslin Kolbe's injury, with Libbok entering earlier than planned.
Matfield diagnoses second-year syndrome
Victor Matfield suggested Feinberg-Mngomezulu is grappling with the pressures of expectation after a breakthrough 2025 campaign. "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," Matfield said on the Rivals podcast. The former lock noted the Springboks possess three contrasting fly-halves, with Handre Pollard offering game management and Feinberg-Mngomezulu providing attacking spark.
Libbok's extended run in Soweto sharpened South Africa's attack, unlocking New Zealand's defence on multiple occasions and nearly scoring late in the first half. The Stormers pivot has a formidable record against the All Blacks, starting in the 35-7 demolition at Twickenham in 2023 and replacing Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the 18th minute of the 43-10 thrashing in Wellington during the 2025 Rugby Championship. Those performances have fuelled calls for Libbok to start in Baltimore.
Erasmus, however, emphasised consistency as the deciding factor. "Consistency is probably the main reason why Sacha starts, but also the game is a bit different in the last 30 minutes when everyone's a bit tired," the head coach explained. He confirmed Pollard is available and likely to feature against Australia in a fortnight, underscoring the depth of South Africa's playmaking options.
The selection leaves Feinberg-Mngomezulu with one final opportunity to silence his critics before the Rugby Championship resumes. Whether he can rediscover the form that made him first choice in 2025 will shape not only the Baltimore Test but also the pecking order heading into the southern hemisphere's premier competition.