Springboks lose Sacha: Now what?
The Springboks will have to complete the remainder of their Rugby Championship campaign with superstar flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
With the Springboks are currently in Argentina for their penultimate Rugby Championship fixture against Los Pumas which will take place in Santiago del Estero on Saturday.
And on Tuesday, after naming his team via teleconference, Rassie Erasmus dropped the bombshell that Feinberg-Mngomezulu had suffered a knee injury which requires corrective surgery, followed by an extended stay on the sidelines as part of the recovery process.
“He injured his knee before the first Test against the All Blacks,” the Springboks boss said.
“He played through it. I asked him during the next week why he was limping and he said he injured his knee last week.
“I actually really wanted to pull him out of the team because he was limping. That’s what we need the players to understand, you must be honest about injuries. Sacha is lucky we won both of those Test matches.”
SPRINGBOKS WITHOUT ROOKIE PLAYMAKER UNTIL NOVEMBER
Although the playmaker didn’t travel with the team to Argentina, the Springboks would have utilised his services in the last game of the competition against the same opposition in Mbombela in two weeks time.
But Erasmus will now have to do without him, as he has been ruled out for between four to six weeks and will only be available for Springboks selection in November.
“Sacha will only be ready for the end-of-year tour with a knee injury,” Erasmus said.
“He is having the operation now. I’m not exactly sure what is wrong with his knee, but he will be ready in around four to six weeks.”
WILL THE BOKS BEAT ARGENTINA IN BOTH TESTS?
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Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in training. Image: EPA/KIM LUDBROOK
