Rassie Erasmus has retained Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at fly-half for the fourth and final Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks in Baltimore, with Manie Libbok again on the bench, and confirmed Handré Pollard is likely to return against Australia the following week.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu has started all three Tests in the series, and Erasmus acknowledged the 22-year-old has not yet hit full stride — "there are still some areas where he's not 100% hitting his straps just yet" — but cited his defensive value as a key reason for retaining him, particularly at kick-off when the All Blacks target an early foothold.
"The game is different in the last 30 minutes when everybody's a little bit tired and there are more gaps," Erasmus said. "Apart from Sacha's skills, he's a really good defender, and that's one of the big things when the All Blacks try and get a fast start."
Libbok's case for a start strengthened after the third Test in Soweto, where Feinberg-Mngomezulu shifted to fullback following Cheslin Kolbe's injury and Libbok stepped in at ten, with the Boks' attack noticeably sharpening in that period. The subsequent introduction of Morne van den Berg at scrumhalf added further momentum, fuelling calls for Libbok to be handed the starting jersey in Baltimore. Erasmus, however, opted for continuity while leaving the door open for Libbok to feature early if needed.
"Manie can come on after five minutes if Sacha gets injured and he can handle the pressure, but we might need him late in the game," Erasmus said.
Pollard, who withdrew from the Cape Town Test with a calf injury before kick-off, was again omitted from the 23. Erasmus confirmed the decision was a choice rather than a fitness issue. "We could have selected Handre," he said. "We'll probably play against Australia."