The Springboks will travel to Argentina without Handré Pollard after the veteran playmaker pulled his hamstring, but Rassie Erasmus has delivered encouraging news on Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's recovery ahead of the 8 August fixture in Buenos Aires.
Erasmus confirmed after Saturday's victory over Wales that Feinberg-Mngomezulu will rejoin the squad following surgery on an injury sustained on 30 May. The 22-year-old has been sidelined since that Stormers appearance, with head coach John Dobson describing the problem as serious at the time.
"We've got Sacha coming back now, he will go with the guys to Argentina," Erasmus told reporters. The news provides a timely boost as the Boks prepare for the opening leg of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series against Los Pumas before turning their attention to the All Blacks.
Pollard blow forces reshuffle
Pollard's hamstring setback emerged in the build-up to the Wales match, forcing Erasmus to hand 20-year-old Vusi Moyo a first Test start at Kings Park Stadium. The decision caught many by surprise, but the head coach explained the logic behind selecting the youngster ahead of Manie Libbok.
"Handre pulled his hamstring. Handre is fit now, he wasn't fit for this game, so we didn't have Sacha, we didn't have Handre," Erasmus said. "We had him [Moyo] and Manie. We didn't want to start Manie because putting a guy on in the second half at that age against a quality team like Wales (might be counterproductive)."
The injury picture has underscored the need for depth at fly-half despite the presence of three established options. Pollard and Libbok have shared duties during the Nations Championship, with the former starting against Scotland and the latter against England. Feinberg-Mngomezulu's return restores a third experienced choice, though the coaching staff continue to develop younger prospects including Moyo and Yaqeen Ahmed, who played a key role in the Junior Springboks' World Rugby U20 Championship triumph.
With Pollard now recovered and Feinberg-Mngomezulu cleared to travel, Erasmus will have selection headaches of a more welcome variety when the squad assembles for the trip across the Atlantic. The Argentina fixture represents the first opportunity to test combinations ahead of the All Blacks encounters that follow, and the return of a playmaker who impressed during last year's World Cup cycle adds genuine tactical flexibility to the touring party.