Cape Town — Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen will be watched with a keen eye if he makes an appearance for Harlequins in Saturday's Champions Cup in the DHL Stadium but the Stormers won't emphasise stopping only him and forget about the other dangers the visitors pose.
So the home side's plan is to make sure their defence is up for whatever the English Premiership side throws at them, whether it's through Esterhuizen, or England flyhalf Marcus Smith or elsewhere on the field.
The former Sharks player is one of a handful of international players who will in all likelihood turn out for Harlequins in this Champions Cup knockout match in Cape Town (4pm kick-off).
Dawie Snyman, backline coach of the Stormers, said they will have to be clever around their defensive effort, especially in the 10-12 channel where Esterhuizen loves to run.
"We can't just focus on one or two players, but we have to make sure we know how to stop it," Snyman said.
"We have a lot of respect for Andre, our players played with him at the Boks and Sharks. You could almost see their game (the Sharks') took a while to get going again after he left. He's a strong runner but also has a good offload game."
According to Snyman, it will be important to have a look at what the Harlequins side could bring on the matchday, but in the end they'll have to focus on their own game.
And because it's a knockout match, it doesn't mean that the team will suddenly change their way of playing but, Snyman added, they will have to adapt to what the occasion demands.
"We have a certain way of playing, everyone understands it. But it's building blocks. We must make sure our foundation is right, to make good decisions and play exciting rugby.
"We need to get a few things right, though, before getting to that."
Harlequins are known for exciting rugby, so the Cape side is expecting an open game that will, in all likelihood, suit them.
The DHL Stadium should be packed for this match as Western Province will face Griquas in a Currie Cup match right after the Champions Cup clash.
IOL Sport