The Stormers are bracing for a familiar threat when they kick off their Investec Champions Cup campaign against Bayonne on Friday.

Livewire scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies moved to the French club from the Stormers at the end of last season after earning 63 caps and being part of the inaugural Vodacom URC-winning team.

Jantjies earned 24 Test caps for the Springboks between 2019 and 2023, scoring five tries, including a memorable double against the Wallabies on debut, and another against the All Blacks in Wellington to snatch a 16-16 draw. He was a member of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad.

On Monday, defence coach Norman Laker said the Stormers were mindful of the No 9 whose inside knowledge and game-breaking ability have quickly made him a key figure for Bayonne, who are fifth on the Top 14 log after 11 rounds.

“We all know Herschel is a quality player. He’s a World Cup winner, he’s won the URC with us – there’s a reason he’s achieved so much.”

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Laker said Jantjies’ impact off the bench for Bayonne in the Top 14 last weekend underlined the danger he poses.

“He came on against Lyon and made a massive difference – got a turnover, kicked the ball out at the end.

“He knows our systems inside out, and we know his strengths too. It’s going to be challenging for both sides because we know each other so well.”

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Lock JD Schickerling, who featured in last weekend’s comeback URC win over Munster, echoed the sentiment.

“Herschel’s a brilliant player – we know how sharp he is around the rucks and how quickly he can change a game. So, we respect that threat. But for us it’s about focusing on our roles and executing.”

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Laker added that the Stormers’ defensive cohesion would be crucial.

“Everyone knows their job. If one guy slips out of system, we can fix it quickly. That helped us turn things around in the second half [against Munster] last weekend.”

With Bayonne boasting a formidable home record, Laker expects “a massive challenge,” but insists the Stormers will give it everything.

“We’re an 80-minute team,” he said. “And we’ll need to be.”

It’s the pinnacle of club rugby 🏉

The team who lifts the #InvestecChampionsCup trophy is the one who delivers under pressure and pulls out all the stops along the way. It’s time to reach for glory 🏆#RugbyDelivered pic.twitter.com/48SCxG7vHL

— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 1, 2025

Photo: @hersch09/Instagram