‘Strong’ Sacha excited to help Stormers
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is confident he can contribute to the Stormers’ Vodacom URC playoff charge as the Springbok star nears a return from injury.
Despite a 30-23 loss to the Lions at Ellis Park in round 11 leaving John Dobson’s men 10th on the URC log, the Stormers remain within striking distance of the top eight. With just seven games remaining, the Capetonians must claim vital points on the road, starting with a North-South derby against the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on 1 March.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu, speaking to News24 at an SA Rugby sponsors launch in Johannesburg on Sunday, insisted there’s no panic.
“I don’t know if anxious is the right word, but I’m definitely excited to help,” he said. “I’m not anxious because I feel like our players will perform and we will end up in the top eight like we want.
“It might be frustrating knowing you could help, but you’ve got to trust the process.”
The 22-year-old has endured a torrid run of injuries this season, failing to finish any of his three games since returning from a knee issue. A concussion, hip pointer and collarbone injury followed in quick succession.
“I was watching the Lions-Stormers game, looking at Asenathi [Ntlabakanye] tackling people, thinking: ‘Damn, bro, I can see why my hip was hurt!’” he joked. “He hit me hard and taught me a good lesson. Shout out to Asenathi.”
Feinberg-Mngomezulu remains vague on his return timeline, saying only that he is “grinding hard” to be back as soon as possible. “My rehab is going strong. There are a couple of niggles, but they’re mostly sorted,” he added.
The playmaker is also preparing for the Bok alignment camp in March: “It’s an amazing opportunity to learn. My ambition this year is to be better than last year and provide good answers on and off the field.”
