Vitriol Against ‘David Beckham’ Of SA Rugby Not Understood By Dobson
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has enjoyed a meteoric rise, emerging as one of the brightest stars on the global stage and a promising figure for the future of South African rugby.
That, however, does not come without its fair share of naysayers and detractors, something the 24-year-old sensation will have to grow used to as he continues to see his stock soar in the game.
Following a highly pressurised and difficult period for the Stormers, where his captaincy coincided with a downward turn in form, the playmaking sensation faced criticism but has been offered advice from both the Stormers director of rugby, John Dobson, as well as the Springbok camp.
“The noise is a concern because he is a youngster and the sport is so emotional – there have been comments about him, so I think you need to be very tough or removed for it not to affect him. He will be a star for SA Rugby and has a massive future,” said Dobson.
This comes following comments from Springbok attacking coach Tony Brown, where he said, “The way we coach, play, and use every player in the Springbok environment makes it easy for him. The Stormers are in a bit of a slump, and he is trying to do too much by himself. If I had to say something to him, I would say, “Use the players around you more and not try to take everyone on yourself.”
Dobson attributed the difference in Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s play and form to different environments where resources, expertise, and the sense of desperation were contrasting.
“For the more formal comments from someone like Tony (Brown), of course, we listen to that, but Sacha comes from a different environment in the club setup where he was captain and is desperate for the team to win,” Dobson mentioned.
“It’s very different from the national team, where you have huge resources around you both on and off the field. There is a massive pack of forwards that can bail you out, guys with massive Test experience around you. He might be trying too much, but we know where it is coming from,” Dobson added.
Despite his undoubted talent, his game management has come into question at times when his team has been trailing, something Dobson struggles to understand, and something he is convinced will improve with experience.
“I don’t understand how there can be vitriol to someone who has such X-factor and promise for the Stormers and the Springboks,” Dobson remarked scathingly
The sensation recently committed his future to the Stormers until 2029, and Dobson reiterated his commitment to the cause.
“Sacha is so committed to us and invested. You don’t become the world’s best game managing fly-half in the first few years, but he’ll get there.”
Many have already touted Feinberg-Mngomezulu as a future Springbok captain, and Dobson is well aware that discussions have had to take place to manage expectations as well as his pathway to captaincy.
It has been acknowledged, though, that with the weight of expectation to perform as the driving force of the side, in retrospect, it was probably a mistake to have given the prodigious talent the captaincy so soon.
“He’s very keen to captain. He has something special. He has a cold-bloodedness about him,” explained Dobson.
“He has captaincy material, but the mistake I made, with him being the David Beckham of South African rugby in terms of his profile being the X-factor guy, to load the captaincy on a then 23-year-old was our mistake.”
