Springbok star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is widely regarded as a ‘generational talent’, but he has endured some challenges this season. With extra responsibilities placed on him to consistently dictate play as the Stormers’ first-choice 10, he has had to adapt quickly.
At one point in the season, he was also handed the Stormers captaincy. However, that extra responsibility ultimately proved to be too much to handle. Coach John Dobson admitted it’s been an interesting journey as Feinberg-Mngomezulu has added maturity and game management to his talent. Dobson said, “I think he is a generational player. We are going to enjoy him for a while to come. He has grown up very quickly from being the X factor, playing off the cuff guy, to taking the responsibility of driving the team.”
Dobson noted that Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s work ethic and attention to detail are impressive. “You think it’s all this natural ability, but his work ethic and his detail is magnificent. He spends a lot of time previewing the opposition, looking at what their triggers are,” Dobson added. The coach also mentioned that he does not need to coach Feinberg-Mngomezulu, but rather focus on ensuring the rest of the team understands how he plays, given his individualist style.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s Growth and the Stormers’ Chances
Feinberg-Mngomezulu has played a key part in the Stormers’ success, with the team winning 12 and drawing one of their 17 United Rugby Championship (URC) matches this season. They are currently just a point behind table-topping Glasgow Warriors, according to the latest standings.
The Stormers have already secured a home quarter-final and are now looking to finish in the top two to pave the way for a Cape Town semi-final. Depending on how Glasgow fare away to Ulster, the South African outfit could yet finish first, which would give them home advantage all the way through to the Grand Final, should they progress that far.
The Road to the Title
The Stormers are determined to secure a victory in Friday night’s final regular season fixture against play-off chasing Cardiff at the Arms Park. Coach Dobson said, “We sort of dreamt when we were sailing unbeaten that we could come on this tour not having to win games. But we didn’t achieve that. We lost some local derbies and we lost to Connacht. So we are selecting a team with the aim of winning this match.”
Dobson feels that the tournament has moved on significantly since the Stormers won the title in 2022. “It’s much more competitive. It’s a very hard league to win. It’s definitely harder now than when we won it. It’s a proper league in terms of the investment in squads and coaching. There are no easy games now. The league has definitely got better,” he said.
