John Dobson said he put too much pressure on the 23-year-old flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, calling him the “David Beckham of South African rugby”
Stormers head coach John Dobson has openly admitted to making a tactical error earlier this season when he handed the captaincy to young star Feinberg-Mngomezulu, acknowledging the decision placed excessive pressure on the already heavily-burdened flyhalf.
Speaking to reporters ahead of this weekend’s crucial United Rugby Championship showdown against the Bulls, Dobson reflected candidly on his leadership decisions and the impact they had on both the player and team dynamics.
Dobson didn’t hold back in his praise for the 23-year-old, comparing him to global football icon David Beckham in terms of profile and star power within South African rugby.
“He’s the David Beckham of South African rugby now. In terms of the profile, he is the X-factor guy,” Dobson explained to reporters. “Our 10 and everybody’s 10 is always a game driver… our 10 sits and calls the plays.”
The coach acknowledged that adding captaincy responsibilities to an already demanding playmaking role created an “obvious overload” for the young talent.
When the coaching staff approached Feinberg-Mngomezulu about stepping back from the captaincy, Dobson praised the player’s maturity in handling the situation.
“We had to chat to him and say, ‘Sach, maybe you just focus on two of those three things now,’ and he was very respectful,” Dobson revealed. “I know he wants the captaincy. He was very accepting of it.”
Despite the current decision, Dobson remains confident in Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s leadership potential, predicting a bright captaincy future for the star player.
“I think probably, you know, in a couple of years’ time, it’s going to be an absolutely exceptional captain,” he said.
The coach also acknowledged that the decision affected the broader team structure, with too much responsibility falling on one player’s shoulders.
“It also changed the character of the team a little bit because, you know, the responsibility is all on one guy. And I didn’t empower others around him enough,” Dobson admitted. “So probably more our fault than his fault. But [there’s] no question about his captaincy ability.”
The Stormers face the Bulls this Saturday at 14:00 in what promises to be a massive United Rugby Championship encounter.
- This article was first published in our sister site Kickoff.com.
