Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu says he doesn’t indulge constant comparisons to All Blacks great Dan Carter.
The 23-year-old has earned 10 Test caps since his Bok debut last year and has been hailed as a “generational talent” by Stormers coach John Dobson.
His breakout 2024 season saw him nominated for World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year, win SA Rugby’s Young Player of the Year, and be crowned SA URC Player of the Year.
At times, he admits the attention can be overwhelming.
“At this point, I’m cringing a bit,” he told reporters of seeing his face on billboards. “Look, the young version of me would be so proud, so I’m not going to sit here and complain about it. But sometimes I drive past and block my face – it’s enough for the day.”
Carter, a two-time World Cup winner and the game’s record points-scorer, is widely regarded as the greatest flyhalf in history. But Feinberg-Mngomezulu prefers to block out the noise.
“I’m sure my subconscious feels some of it,” he said. “But I’ve got quite a nice system in place where my friends are all guys from school – guys who don’t respect me as a Springbok. I could play nine [great] games out of 10 and they’d tell me about the one out of 10 I was bad at.
“It’s people like that who keep me on my toes and stop me from enjoying the articles too much. This is a high-pressure environment with so much scrutiny, so it’s nice to have one or two nice things said about you every now and then. I enjoy it, but I don’t indulge it – I hope it never becomes part of my make-up.”
Patience, he says, is vital to bridging the gap between promise and achievement.
“Being patient probably comes from steady growth; the moment you stop seeing yourself grow, you probably become impatient and paranoid. I literally feel like I can grow every day in every part of my game.
“I make a lot of mistakes – in training and in matches – so I’m always growing. Because I can see the end goal, I remain patient. If I couldn’t see it, I’d be impatient and impulsive.”
