Ruhan Nel loving the pressure-cooker atmosphere of knock-out rugby

After a successful Round of 16 against Harlequins, Nel is preparing for the quarterfinal match against Exeter Chiefs, which he expects to be another challenging encounter.

Despite the mounting pressure, Nel is excited to compete against the best of the best and convert that pressure into points.

"At the end of the day it's now down to the business-end of the competition; it's the best of the best, so opportunities are becoming less and pressure is becoming more, so it's about who can convert that pressure into points when it counts," he said.

The Stormers dominated most of the last match, but a late surge from Harlequins taught them valuable lessons in defense.

"We felt so in control of the entire game up until the 73rd minute [against Harlequins]. I think it was a combination of things that happened on the field at that point," he said.

"It was things we were aware of that might happen and it did, and our ability to have stopped that late surge is something that always comes down to one or two lucky bounces or plays that we have to be sharp on, otherwise you find yourself under your poles," he said.

Nel is aware of Exeter's determination and desperation, which was evident in their game against Montpellier.

"I think if there's one thing that [Exeter] game has shown us is the fight and desperation these guys play with. They play with intensity, and a healthy balance between running, kicking and running it up the guts, complemented with good defence systems," he said.

He is also looking forward to competing against Henry Slade, his counterpart at outside centre.

Nel is excited to face some of the best players around the globe in this quarterfinal match, which will be played at Sandy Park on Saturday at 18:30.

"He [Slade] is a great player who kicks, runs, passes, is a good defender, good communication skills and a great workrate, all things needed to make you not only a world-class 13 but also a world-class player.

"It's always great when you can square off with some of the best guys around the globe and Henry definitely fits into that category," he added.