The Sacha factor: How to solve the selection conundrum
The fractious final play call by the English duo of referee Christophe Ridley and Ian Tempest this past weekend will continue to cause raucous rifts for the next few days, maybe the rest of the week.
The Stormers were left heartbroken after their 27-28 Champions Cup Round of 16 loss to Toulon at the famous Stade Mayol in France this past weekend.
The visitors had a chance to snatch a famous win in the dying seconds.
However, Toulon flank Charles Ollivon managed to get his body under the ball as the Stormers looked to charge over the line.
The referee, Ridley, said ‘no try, held up’.
He went upstairs to the TMO, compatriot Tempest, who had several looks for what felt like an agonising eternity.
He found no ‘compelling evidence’ that a try was scored, and Ridley’s decision stood.
It left the Stormers dejected, despite an ongoing ‘debate’ about the legitimacy of the French player’s action.
However, rather than continuing to bleat about the ’50-50 calls’ and ‘interpretations’, Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson can use the additional week of rest to solve one of his more complicated selection conundrums.
Getting the best out of his omnium-gatherum of playmakers is a far bigger poser to decode before they resume their United Rugby Championship campaign later this month.
Their exit from Europe’s premier competition means they return home for URC encounters with Connacht and Glasgow Warriors, before concluding the league phase of the competition with away matches against Ulster and Cardiff.
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Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, giving the appearance of a wunderkind with a second-season syndrome, remains key to the second-placed Stormers’ chance of securing home ground advantage in the URC play-offs.
However, the sceptics are beginning to question whether flyhalf is his best position.
Inside centre and fullback have been suggested.
Those are certainly options.
Having Jurie Matthee at No.10 and Feinberg-Mngomezulu at No.12 is an enticing prospect.
However, a far more practical solution would be to surround him with significant experience and calm heads, seasoned Springboks that could provide him with guidance in the ever-increasing incidents of high-pressure moments.
Dobson’s decision to move double World Cup winner Damian Willemse to the wing showed he is willing to make some bold calls.
The more pragmatic call would be to have Willemse at inside centre, and Feinberg-Mngomezulu at flyhalf.
Dan du Plessis is not a bad player, far from it. However, his sometimes manic approach is not the ‘stability’ a flyhalf with a confidence crisis needs right now.
Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach lasted 58 minutes in Toulon after he returned to action, having fully recovered from a groin hernia surgery.
He will add further stability to the playmaking axis.
Ruhan Nel, as the captain and defensive caller at outside centre, will further bolster the backline.
It may leave Dobson with an issue on the wing.
Centres like Suleiman Hartzenberg and Wandisile Simelane can do a job in the wider channels, despite being listed as centres.
Leolin Zas is also due an upliftment in form.
It leaves Warrick Gelant to cause all the chaos he wants at fullback, sometimes in favour of his team and sometimes to the detriment.
However, there is enough ‘skill and calmness’ in the rest of the backline to make up for any lapses.
Maybe now is the time for ‘paleoconservative’ selections, not rash decisions.
@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com
