A bruised Stormers side were left counting the heavy cost of a quarterfinal win over Cardiff which resulted in talisman Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu leaving the field with a serious ankle injury, coach John Dobson said.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s injury came at the worst possible time for the Stormers, who are facing a tough United Rugby Championship semi-final against Leinster in Dublin on Saturday.
Dobson confirmed the Springbok flyhalf will undergo scans, but he is highly likely to miss the semifinal at the Aviva Stadium.
Another player expected to miss the trip to Ireland is forward Ruben van Heerden, who suffered a head injury and is set to follow return-to-play protocols.
Wing Seabelo Senatla is also doubtful after crashing into perimeter advertising boards at the Cape Town Stadium, and inside centre Dan du Plessis has an injured knee.
“It was a costly quarter-final,” Dobson said.
Sacha looks pretty serious, to be honest. The doctor’s given me some views, but it looks like a proper ankle injury. However, I feel like we are going to be okay
— Coach John Dobson
“Sacha looks pretty serious, to be honest. The doctor’s given me some views, but it looks like a proper ankle injury.
“However, I feel like we are going to be okay.
“Jurie Matthee is doing really well, and this is a big blow.
“But when we have blows, this team gets together and gels. To lose probably the most in-demand player in the world (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) before the semis is not ideal.
“Senatla’s was a head injury assessment (HIA category one). He was knocked out, so he won’t play this week.
“I thought he was absolutely magnificent.
“For a guy who has been out for so long, his work in the air, his defence and his work rate were outstanding. That’s a hell of a blow for us.”
Dobson says upping their conversion rate once they have entered the opposition’s 22 will be a key work-on ahead of the semi-final.
The Cape side had several entries into Cardiff’s 22, but Ruhan Nel and Stefan Ungerer were held up over the line.
“I give Cardiff credit for their fight and the way they came back in the second half,” he said.
“I don’t think we played poorly. I know with 15 minutes to go it was still an anxious game, but I thought our processes were pretty good.
“The game should have been resolved by half-time; that’s the truth.
“It’s an old issue of ours, four entries, and we were minus seven points from the intercept, but the rest of the process I thought was sound.
“We had a template around the set-piece on how we wanted to play. I think we only broke it once, which might sound funny, but that’s very little for a game.
“So happy with the process, happy with the outcome, just a very expensive game in terms of injuries.”
Heading into the semifinals against Leinster, Dobson wants to see more killer instinct in the red zone.
“That has been our whole season (wasted opportunities),” he said.
“That’s the one law in rugby that has to change (after a try has been held up). I’m not saying that just because it’s against us.
“I just don’t understand this concept. You do so well, and you’re rewarded with receiving the ball back on your 10-metre line.
“The old law was much better. If you attack well, a five-metre scrum.”
Stormers captain Ruhan Nel said his team’s form against Cardiff had been encouraging.
“It’s obviously disappointing (the injuries), but in the same breath, it’s encouraging,” he said.
“You’re obviously getting into the right spaces.
“I think that was the frustration after they got that intercept try because we’d come a little bit loose, and then that’s the result of it.
“I’ve never been part of a season where we’ve been held up so many times; it’s funny.”
Saturday’s URC semifinals: Glasgow Warriors v Bulls, Leinster v Stormers
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.