“Part of the Job”: Sacha Rejects Sympathy Amidst Stormers Social Media Storm
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has acknowledged that online criticism is “part and parcel” of professional rugby, yet he maintains that the scrutiny he faces pales in comparison to the pressure endured by world-class footballers.
Days after Stormers director of rugby John Dobson and captain Ruhan Nel condemned the online abuse of their players – prodigious talent Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has now weighed in on the controversial issue.
“I see it all because I am on social media,” said Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
“I don’t think it’s something that anyone should feel sorry for themselves about,” added Feinberg-Mngomezulu, displaying a sense of maturity in his response.
Earlier in the week, Dobson expressed deep concern over the nature of the online vitriol, highlighting the intense pressure and scrutiny that come with the professional game.
He also likened Feinberg-Mngomezulu to Dan Carter, suggesting he has the potential to become a generational great on the world stage for the Springboks.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu appeared largely unfazed by the situation and was quick to place it in a broader perspective.
“I watch a lot of football, and I cannot imagine what the Real Madrid and Barcelona players get every weekend,” he said
“It’s important to understand that it is at a minute level and as long as my coaches and teammates are happy with my effort, I’ll let the rest take care of itself,” he explained.
“We get it like this compared to the footballers, so I must not put my tail between my legs and cry about it. It’s part of the job.”
The Stormers are bracing for their final home game of the regular season against table-topping Glasgow Warriors, who come into the clash on the back of a heavy 54-12 defeat to the Lions at Ellis Park.
“We did not win at Ellis Park, so we are definitely taking all the positives that we could. It’s also important to be realistic – they did not start their full-strength team because they are loaded for us,” Feinberg-Mngomezulu said.
“That can also give you an emotionally charged team with both sides coming off losses.”
The charismatic playmaker is widely regarded as the Stormers’ primary driving force and, following a shock defeat to Connacht during a tumultuous week, is determined to put things right in their final outing.
“It all fell onto the players,” he said about the defeat to Connacht.
“The coaches were excluded from what happened. We lacked the know-how and common sense to vary the strategy we put in place to accommodate the conditions. We didn’t adapt fast enough, and we had crucial errors at important times in the game, which cost us big momentum swings.”
“We were trying to tidy up the mess we were creating, and we just were not doing a good job of it,” he conceded.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu was quick to emphasise that the defeat forced the team to reflect honestly and take accountability – something that might not have happened had they come away with a win.
“The defeat was a good reality check, especially the way we lost. It was a proper dagger to the heart. It has caused a lot of honesty and hard chats that might not have happened if we had won the game,” he said.
As the second leading points scorer in this year’s tournament on 103, only behind the Lions’ Chris Smith, Feinberg-Mngomezulu will look to add to his tally as he attempts to propel the Stormers to the top of the standings.
