Feinberg-Mngomezulu faces three-to-six months out after high ankle sprain

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will miss the bulk of South Africa’s international summer after scans confirmed a high ankle sprain suffered during the Stormers’ URC quarter-final victory over Cardiff, with a recovery timeline of three to six months placing his return as late as September.

The 24-year-old flyhalf was hurt in the second half while scoring a try, with a tackler landing awkwardly on his foot in the process. Stormers forwards coach Rito Hlungwani confirmed the seriousness of the setback ahead of the side’s semi-final trip to Dublin to face Leinster, telling media simply that “he’ll be out for a while.”

The injury rules Feinberg-Mngomezulu out of the remainder of the URC playoffs and almost certainly ends his involvement in the Springboks’ Nations Championship fixtures in July, which include Tests against England, Scotland and Wales.

Even an optimistic three-month recovery would place him back in contention only in September, leaving his availability for the All Blacks tour — which opens on August 22 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg — uncertain. Whether he would be Test-match ready so soon after returning from a significant ankle injury adds a further layer of doubt.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu addressed the setback directly on Instagram, expressing his frustration while framing the injury as motivation for his comeback.

“Usually, I post caption-less carousels. This time I’ll say it how it is. Frustrated, irritated and questioning why me?” he wrote. “Sometimes the game reminds you that you’re not invincible!”

“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!!”

The loss of Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a significant blow to the Springboks’ planning for a congested international window, with the reigning world champions now needing to reassess their options at flyhalf across both the Nations Championship and the high-profile series against New Zealand.