VIDEO: Lions' plans go beyond stopping Sacha says Krappie
VIDEO: A brutal test awaits the Lions in Cape Town as they take on the unbeaten Stormers in the United Rugby Championship, with one of world rugby’s most lethal halfback pairings lying in wait.
Springboks Scaha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cobus Reinach are a formidable force in the Stormers line-up and coming off one of the most successful end-of-year Bok tours in history.
The 35-year-old Reinach reached the milestone of 50 Test caps against Wales in Cardiff at the end of November, and shared the field with the dynamic Feinberg-Mngomezul when he was deployed from the bench and replaced Morne van den Berg.
The experienced No.9 has carved out his own identity as one of the most explosive scrumhalves in world rugby. His ability to ignite an attack from nothing feels like a nod to the natural athleticism his father once displayed.
The nuggety scrumhalf only needs five more Test points to reach 100 in the green and gold, and it’s a pity it didn’t happen in Cardiff against Wales in what was already a momentous occasion, capped by a record-breaking score.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu was named the MyPlayers Players’ Player of the Year last week, and this week he finished at the top of a list of the game’s 100 greatest players.
The superstar No.10 was also crowned the world’s best by RugbyPass, with the flyhalf ranked first overall in the Top 100 for 2025.
The Lions travel to Cape Town, coming off two losses in the Challenge Cup, while the Capetonians are flying high in both the URC and the Champions Cup.
The Lions No.9 has only played four Test matches in his short international career – against Georgia, Argentina, Italy, and Wales. His performance in Turin, in a slog that threatened to get away from the Boks, was defined by his control at the back of a handicapped pack.
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Van den Berg knows how electrifying the Stormers duo can be and what awaits him and his team this weekend.
“I know I will be facing Cobus, but all I’m thinking about is how I can help the team win. I’m not thinking about the Boks, my focus is fully on this weekend’s match,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“I have a lot of respect for Cobus. He’s been amazing over the past two years.
“But this weekend I’m going there to compete and to give it my all against him,” and added that the lessons he has learnt from the experienced scrumhalf have been vital to his growth.
“It’s a lot of little things; How he prepares in the week, how he sees the game, when to do something, when not to do something. When to look for space. It’s a lot of small stuff that adds to the big things.
“So much respect for him as a player and especially as a person,” he said, and added, “Sacha is unbelievable, but at the end of the day, there are 15 men on the field.
“We will have a plan or two, but this week is not just about how to stop Sacha,” he emphasised.
“We know they are strong, but we’re going there to force our game plan on them. We’re not going there to adapt to how they play.”
Van den Berg, who recently extended his contract with the Lions, is a team man through and through, and any talk of focusing on the Stormers’ stars was downplayed.
“The team definitely comes first,” he said. “But if you want to test yourself, you want to play against the best. That’s what excites me.”
