The Stormers Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu won the URC SA Player of the year Award on Thursday ahead of the Bulls' Wilco Louw and Cameron Hanekom. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Recently, I had the privilege of meeting Roger Federer.
It was a big moment for me, as I have always admired the Swiss tennis maestro, and on a list of top sporting heroes, he surely would be among my leading considerations. For years, rather tongue-in-cheek, I have claimed him as a South African, due to his ties to this country through his mother.
Over many matches before his retirement, I watched his skills and talents in awe, and have even received a threat or two from those who supported his opponents, due to a sense of humour failure and a lack of comprehensive reading on their part.
Bulls prop Wilco Louw. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
I had known for weeks that I would get to meet the 20-time Grand Slam winner, so I had plenty of time to consider how I would approach him. I would be calm, collected, suave, and nonchalant – just another meeting with a normal human being, not the Super Saiyan tennis god that he is.
What followed, as I struck out my hand to shake his, was a jumbled, incomprehensible mess that Federer was kind enough to ignore. Yes, in that moment, I was star-struck – overwhelmed that I had finally met the man, the myth, the legend.
He was taller than I expected and extolled charisma up the wazoo. Indeed, it was almost tangible.
On first meeting Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu last year, at his initial call-up to the Springboks, similar vibes were being transmitted. The 23-year-old is well spoken, self-assured in his abilities, and proud of them.
Those in attendance who interacted with him on that first occasion, left Pretoria with an impressed nod, mentioning to each other what a pleasure he was to interview.
There is no doubt that Feinberg-Mngomezulu is going places. He will arguably be one of the finest rugby players this country has ever produced. I would go so far as to say he will be a generational talent. He has developed precocious skills no player of his age should possess, and has already done some truly special things with the spheroid. He will do more special things in the future.
But for him to win the United Rugby Championship (URC) SA Player of the Year award on Thursday is not totally agreeable.
I recall in 2002, Sir Ian McKellen had been nominated for the Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his turn as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. I was convinced he would win the honour, and was rather miffed – to this day, mind you – that he lost out to Jim Broadbent for Iris.
McKellen was, in my estimation, more deserving of the award – just as Wilco Louw is more deserving of this year’s URC Player of the Year accolade. I am not faultless in all of this either – I was dazed and confused when the vote for the player award was requested and failed to cast my preference.
My bad ...
Nonetheless, Feinberg-Mngomezulu has played only 10 matches in the URC this season. Prop Louw is already on 16 – not including the semi-final against the Sharks on Saturday, and the possible final he could play a week later.
By the time the URC is finished, he could have played around 1 000 minutes of rugby. Feinberg-Mngomezulu has battled with injuries, had a sub-par performance for the Stormers in a crucial quarter-final against Glasgow Warriors, and completed the season having played 572 minutes.
According to the URC stats, Louw is the 15th best player in their Top 100 metric, while the Stormers utility-back did not even breach that list. Feinberg-Mngomezulu has had his moments, for sure, but Louw’s input into the Bulls has been consistent, undeniable, inevitable and invaluable.
The award was decided by the media and stakeholders of the tournament, and it strikes me that much like my interaction with Federer, we were overawed by the new, shiny item – to the detriment of the grizzled, rough-hewn gem that is Louw.
Moreover, it is another case of valuing the sexy, aesthetically pleasing department of rugby union over the physical input and dark arts of the forwards.
In short, it’s great stuff for Feinberg-Mngomezulu, but Louw? He was robbed … McKellen style.
As for Federer — well, at least I have a photo to immortalise the moment. Awkward, of course, but memorable all the same.