John Dobson makes bold Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu captaincy prediction while confirming return of ex-star with ‘remarkable story’
Stormers playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and head coach John Dobson (inset).
Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has defended his decision to hand the team’s captaincy to Springboks playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Dobson elevated Feinberg-Mngomezulu to the leadership role for the Stormers’ Investec Champions Cup match against Leicester Tigers in Cape Town last month and although the home side were victorious in that clash, they then suffered back-to-back United Rugby Championship (URC) defeats against the Sharks.
Those were the first two losses in the URC for the Stormers – after they made a fantastic start to the season by winning their opening eight matches in the competition – and Dobson received plenty of criticism over his decision to make Feinberg-Mngomezulu the team’s captain.
With regular skipper Salmaan Moerat and other senior players like Deon Fourie, Frans Malherbe, Dan du Plessis and Ruhan Nel all injured at the time, Dobson handed the captaincy to Feinberg-Mngomezulu for the Leicester clash.
Although it was the first time that the Springboks fly-half led the Stormers, he was no stranger to the captaincy role as he was the South Africa U20 side’s skipper in 2022.
And Dobson’s detractors believe combining Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s leadership position with his role as the team’s chief playmaker is too much responsibility for the 23-year-old, something which the Stormers boss disagrees with.
‘The idea was for him to drive the game more’
“He is going to be a brilliant captain,” Dobson told SportsBoom. The idea was for him to drive the game more, but he is also the captain now as well.”
Dobson admitted that the jury is still out on whether Feinberg-Mngomezulu is the finished article as a captain but the Stormers boss is backing his player to master the role eventually.
“Whether it is a good idea to have your game driver, magic maker, and leader at the same time at that age is probably worth a debate. He is going to be a great Stormers captain, I have got no doubt,” he said.
“If it is too early, probably.
“His rugby brain is insane. I have got no doubt he will be a good captain… Springbok captain, possibly.”
Meanwhile, Dobson is delighted that ex-Stormers man Hacjivah Dayimani is heading back to Cape Town after Top 14 outfit Racing 92 confirmed his exit earlier this week.
Dayimani previously made 57 appearances in his first stint at the Stormers between 2021 and 2024, helping the club win the inaugural URC title in 2022.
The 28-year-old loose forward has joined the Stormers on a short-term deal until the end of the season after the men from the Cape lost the services of second-row duo Moerat and Ruben van Heerden as well as back-rower Ruan Ackermann to injury.
‘Hacjivah gives us a number of different options’
“With the likes of Ruan Ackermann, Salmaan Moerat and Ruben van Heerden out at the moment, a versatile player like Hacjivah gives us a number of different options,” said Dobson.
“I’m sure his return will be welcomed by our fans, who have fond memories of some of his performances for us in the past. He has a remarkable story, and we hope this next chapter here with us will be another one to remember.”
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Dayimani is looking forward to making his return to action for the Stormers.
“I have learned a thing or two in my time in France and I’m happy to be back in Cape Town to contribute wherever I can,” he said.
“This is my home and playing for this team means a lot to me. I intend to show that on the field and make some more great memories here.”
