The position of the union, which was previously precarious, has now become one of its most fascinating ones thanks to Sacha Mngomezulu’s performance in the Stormers’ United Rugby Championship (URC) match against Zebre in Parma.
There is no doubt that Manie Libbok’s outstanding performances in the No. 10 jersey since moving to the Cape have all but eliminated the worry about not having a viable flyhalf solution, while Damian Willemse has overcome his reservations to disprove his detractors and demonstrate his ability to perform at the highest level as a flyhalf. Therefore, No. 10 is no longer a worry for the Stormers, but Mngomezulu has just added an exclamation point to that guarantee.
The 20-year-old started at inside center alongside Alapati Leuia in the Stormers’ most recent game of the new season and their first on tour, and man, did he impress.
Despite Libbok and Willemse being on the run-on side, Mngomezulu was given the kicking responsibilities despite having his first starting position in the middle.
Head coach John Dobson complimented Mngomezulu for his performance in Parma following the reigning champions’ third straight victory, and for good cause.
A player may be easily rattled if his tasks included kick-off duties, especially if it was his first start.
He may have cracked under the strain, but that wasn’t the case.
The 37-20 victory at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi was achieved by Mngomezulu, who put on an outstanding performance that displayed maturity and control beyond his years. He converted all four tries, added three penalties, produced a try-assist, and scored the bonus point himself late in the game for a total of 22 points.
Then there are all the tiny details in his play that stand out.
Mngomezulu has given South African rugby fans every reason to keep a close eye on him, including his spatial awareness, his kicking from hand, how he gets the ball to the line, and those nimble little passes that seem out of nowhere.
Dobson said after the game that “he is essential to the future of this team and the union.”
“He was amazing in every way. He is very unique and fiercely competitive. He performed pretty well with the goal-kicking exercise we gave him as part of our growth strategy.
“Our strategy with him is probably to let him settle at 12 and then, with time, he may be one of this country’s top flyhalves.”
As a result of Clayton Blommetjies’ return to the lineup after his wedding-related absence from the Stormers’ match in Italy and the fact that Libbok can no longer be ignored while discussing the Springboks, Mngomezulu’s performance over the weekend has even more significance.
While Willemse will probably start at flyhalf during the Boks’ End-of-Year Tour, Libbok has been the nation’s most reliable 10 on the URC stage. The injury to current Bok Handre Pollard and the uncertainty surrounding Elton Jantjies’ participation boosts Libbok’s case for a call-up to the Boks.
Should that occur, Mngomezulu has given Stormers supporters cause to have faith that the No. 10 jersey would be in capable hands when Libbok and Willemse are not present.