Stormers loose forward Paul de Villiers says the squad's attention is squarely on Saturday's URC semi-final against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium, even as speculation builds around a possible Springbok call-up for next month's Nations Championship Tests against England, Scotland and Wales.
"For every player in the Stormers at the moment, the focus is only on Saturday," the 23-year-old said. "After that, we'll see what happens, but for now it's only about what we can do to make the team better."
De Villiers has been one of the standout performers in the URC this season, sitting joint-second for turnovers won (18) and fifth for tackles made (196) across the campaign. He backed that up with a match-high 15 tackles and two turnovers in last weekend's quarter-final win over Cardiff.
He attributes much of his form to the environment around him. "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."
On the Leinster assignment, De Villiers is under no illusions about what awaits. "We understand we're playing a very strong outfit. They are a team packed with internationals. It's going to be a massive challenge."