Sacha gets Stormers No 10 jersey, Manie to play off bench against Sharks

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will start at flyhalf for the Stormers when they take on the Sharks in the first local United Rugby Championship derby of the 2024/25 season in Durban on Saturday (5pm).

One of the rising stars of Springbok rugby will play his first game for the Stormers this season after suffering a knee injury while on Springbok duty during the Rugby Championship. Feinberg-Mngomezulu didn’t tour with the Boks to the UK this month, where they picked up wins against Scotland, England and Wales.

Manie Libbok, who featured at No 10 for the Boks against England at Twickenham just under two weeks ago during the national team’s recent tour of the UK, will play off the bench in Durban.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who made his Bok debut earlier this season, will be partnered at halfback by the experienced Herschel Jantjies, who announced this week he will leave the Cape-based team at the end of the season to play in France.

Loosehead prop Ali Vermaak also makes his return from injury and will line up alongside Joseph Dweba and Neethling Fouche in the front row.

Marcel Theunissen will start at the back of the scrum, with Dave Ewers and Ben-Jason Dixon on either side of him while JD Schickerling and Ruben van Heerden continue their second-row combination.

Tough task in Durban

Coach John Dobson said that having made good use of the month-long international break, his team are keen to step up in Durban.

“After working together as a group for the last few weeks, we are aiming to rise to the challenge we will face in Durban on Saturday.

“These South African derbies are always big occasions and this is a great opportunity for us to show what we are all about,” he said.

Stormers: Warrick Gelant, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Ruhan Nel, Dan du Plessis (capt), Leolin Zas, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Herschel Jantjies, Marcel Theunissen, Ben-Jason Dixon, Dave Ewers, Ruben van Heerden, JD Schickerling, Neethling Fouche, Joseph Dweba, Ali Vermaak. Bench: Andre-Hugo Venter, Brok Harris, Sazi Sandi, Adre Smith, Keke Morabe, Louw Nel, Stefan Ungerer, Manie Libbok