Paul de Villiers relishing chance to take on 'proper team' Leinster

It will be a tough ask for the Cape men, who will be travelling to Dublin for what promises to be an epic clash at the Aviva Stadium.

The match also carries extra significance for De Villiers as it will be the first time he has played in the semi-finals of the URC.

Despite the lofty occasion, De Villiers is adamant that neither he nor the rest of the Stormers squad will be intimidated. Instead, they are keen to show that they are ready to take on the best teams in the competition in the most high-pressure situations.

"For players and for the team, that's what we've been working for all season – to be here and to be playing in a semi-final," he said.

"And then, of course, to play against Leinster, which is a proper team, makes it an even bigger occasion.

"Playing in a good team and behind a good pack makes it so much easier for the individual to fulfil his role and play his best rugby," he said. "We've got an awesome pack and an awesome team, but there's still stuff we can do better.

"We saw the stats this morning and there are still work-ons and opportunities that we lost out on.

De Villiers has had an outstanding season for the Stormers, which has resulted in speculation about a potential call-up to the Springbok squad for the international season.

However, he is adamant that he is not thinking too far ahead right now and is only focusing on the Stormers' game against Leinster.

"For every player in the Stormers at the moment, the focus is only on Saturday. After that we'll see what happens, but for now it's only about what we can do to make the team better."