Stormers on high alert as Dobson warns 'desperate' Quins remain dangerous

A heavy 66-21 Premiership defeat to Northampton last weekend followed earlier losses to Bristol Bears (40-14) and Sale Sharks (43-17), leaving Quins with seven defeats from nine league matches in the Premiership and prompting a joint statement from CEO Laurie Dalrymple and chairman Dave Morgan to address growing fan concern.

But Dobson isn't allowing these results to lull him into a false sense of security, and said Quins' decision to shift their focus towards Europe underlined just how dangerous they could be when their season is on the line.

"When you play against desperate teams, they're always the most dangerous. There's no better motivation than desperation - whether it's your job, pride or your season on the line. That's a real threat for us," Dobson said on Friday.

"After the Sale loss, they said the Premiership had settled and they were going to focus on Europe. That told us everything we needed to know. When they turn it on, they're right up there with the best teams in the world."

With a massive clash against Leicester to come in Cape Town next Saturday, the Stormers have not sent a full-strength team to England, but Dobson insists they've picked the strongest side possible, which includes captain and inside centre Damian Willemse.

Meanwhile, training and preparation has also been less than ideal due the travelling schedule and the icy conditions in the UK.

"You can't really do high-speed training, which is a big part of our training, normally on the Wednesday, and then fly the same day," said Dobson. "We did that a couple of years ago before we went to Connacht and two guys got injured and were unable to recover on the long-haul flight. So this week was very much a down week in terms of training."

Despite the challenges, captain Willemse said the team are well prepared for the challenge that awaits.

"We had a really good week," he said. "The coaches were clear with the plans, and the detail was sharp from Monday. By the time we got on the plane, the team felt ready.

"My job this weekend is to lead with my actions. I've played away from home before, and it's about doing your primary job well and setting the tone.

"We know what Harlequins can do if they get momentum. But our focus is on our processes, playing for each other and making the team and Cape Town proud."

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