Last year, Franco Smith’s chargers beat the Stormers 27-10 before going on to defeat Munster in the semi-finals and the Bulls in the final to claim the URC title.

After a shaky spell earlier in the season, the Stormers have shown signs of resurgence over the past month, having looked at one stage like they might miss the playoffs altogether.

Marcel Theunissen, the Bloemfontein-born loose forward, says the team will need to be at their absolute best if they want to progress to the semi-finals.

Sebastian Cancelliere. Photo: SNS Group via Getty Images

“We’ve been talking about it the whole week – I don’t think you can focus on just one aspect of the game,” said the Grey College old boy. “You have to bring your A-game against a team like Glasgow. You need to be sharp in every department – scrums, mauls, open play, breakdowns – everything.

“You can’t afford to be off in a single area. You have to be on it in every part of the game.”

The Stormers flew out to Scotland last Friday already, giving themselves nearly a full week to acclimatise and prepare. The squad also travelled in business class, which should go a long way in ensuring the big bodies are well-rested ahead of the knockout clash.

Theunissen added that the squad has had a strong build-up to the game against the Scottish giants.

“Uncle Chippie (Solomon) organised some great business class flights. Everyone arrived rested and in good spirits, and we’ve had a solid week of training.

“We got here early, got stuck in straight away, and we worked hard last week already. So ja, it’s been a good week and we’re looking forward to the game.”

Friday night’s quarter-final at Scotstoun Stadium kicks off at 20:35.

 OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg