The boys are back! Sacha Feinberg and Damian Willemse return to the pitch for DHL Stormers

by Nomonde Simelane

DHL Stormers fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief as their dynamic play-making duo Sacha Feinberg Mngomezulu and Damien Willemse make their long-awaited return to the pitch on time for the United Rugby Championship (URC) clash.

With both Sacha and Damien succumbing to a series of multiple injuries, the DHL Stormers have been without two of their best players for some months now. In May of 2024, Damien Willemse sustained a finger injury which sidelined him for approximately four months, causing him to miss out on his responsibilities with the Springboks as well. Just after fully rehabilitating the injury, the utility back suffered a groin injury while playing against the Glasgow Warriors in October, sidelining him once more for a further six months.

On the other hand, Sacha suffered a minor injury in the Springboks’ Rugby Championship opener against the All Blacks. Sacha made the error of concealing the injury and playing through it, which led to him aggravating it even further, resulting in knee surgery in September. Luck appeared to not be on Sacha’s side as he sustained a concussion upon his recovery, followed by a hip pointer injury, and then a sternoclavicular joint injury.

Fast forwarding to the present day, the Stormers welcome the much-needed dynamic duo back into their line-up as they are deemed fit to hold their own in the upcoming URC match-up against Wales’ Scarlets and Ireland’s Ulster.

The duo’s return will give the Cape Town side a much-needed boost to the team’s backline, not only in terms of strength but versatility as well. Their return gives coach John Dobson multiple tactical options as his side has consistently struggled to find consistency in their absence. Sacha’s unique playmaking skills, paired with Damien’s positional flexibility as well as experience is set to enhance the team’s adaptability against the different sides they will be facing.

Their return comes at a crucial time as the Stormers hope to maximise the points on this tour before returning to South African shores in April, as they currently sit on the URC log with 28 points.

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