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Feinberg-Mngomezulu faces three-to-four month absence after 'serious' ankle injury

Springboks fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu sustained what Stormers coach John Dobson described as a 'proper ankle injury' during Saturday's URC quarter-final win over Cardiff, leaving him facing a race to feature in South Africa's four-match series against the All Blacks.

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Feinberg-Mngomezulu faces three-to-four month absence after 'serious' ankle injury
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Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu left the field after 52 minutes of the Stormers’ 44-21 United Rugby Championship quarter-final victory over Cardiff on Saturday with an ankle injury sustained while scoring a try, and initial reports suggest the 24-year-old could be sidelined for three to four months.

Stormers head coach John Dobson offered a bleak early assessment after the match. “It looks pretty serious, to be honest,” Dobson said. “He’s obviously going for a scan. The doctors have given me some feedback, but it looks like a proper ankle injury.”

The setback is a significant blow for both club and country. Feinberg-Mngomezulu had gone 14 months without injury — a marked contrast to the fitness troubles that disrupted his earlier career — and in that time had firmly established himself as Rassie Erasmus’s first-choice Springboks fly-half. A three-to-four month timeline would rule him out of the remainder of the Stormers’ URC campaign and place serious doubt over his availability for South Africa’s four-match series against the All Blacks.

The fly-half addressed the injury directly on social media, making no attempt to conceal his frustration. “Usually I post caption-less carousels. This time I’ll say it how it is,” he wrote. “Frustrated, irritated and questioning why me? First time injured in 14 months. Sometimes the game reminds you that you’re not invincible!”

Despite the setback, Feinberg-Mngomezulu was quick to frame the injury as motivation rather than misfortune. “Another injury, another chance to come back hungry, determined and focused. I’ve got a job to do, get back and get back better than I left. I’m not one to dwell, but I’ll have a little vent! Now… BACK TO WORK! Next job, crystal clear vision and mindset. See you soon!!”

Over the past year, Feinberg-Mngomezulu has elevated himself into the conversation around the best players in the world game, making the timing of this latest setback particularly cruel. The full extent of the damage will become clearer once scan results are assessed.

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