Fleck: Dan has X-factor
Du Plessis, who is the son of Springbok Michael du Plessis, will be making his Super Rugby debut for the Stormers in the derby and Fleck knows what the 21-year-old is capable of.
"[He is] another young player who played for me last year in the Under-21 [Western Province] setup," said Fleck.
"He was injured early on in the season and we were looking to give him an opportunity early on. He has had some good form for the Currie Cup side of late and he has been rewarded with that good form.
"He is a good hard player, he runs good lines, he is strong in the tackle and in the carry. He is an exciting player with a bit of x-factor.
"What I like about him is that he is similar to Damian [de Allende]. He wants the ball, he wants to take control – he is a quiet kid behind the scenes, but he's got a lot of determination. It's a good opportunity for us to give him a run. He has been playing really well."
Fleck had the option of playing Du Plessis alongside his cousin, flyhalf Jean-Luc, in the backline, but decided to keep De Allende in the No.12 jersey with Daniel coming in at outside centre.
Du Plessis has been in red hot form for Western Province at inside centre in the Currie Cup this year, however, Fleck believes the youngster is comfortable in both the No.12 and No.13 jerseys.
"He can play both," added Fleck.
"He is comfortable, I am comfortable. The fact that I played there, I can help him as well. There is enough quality in Dan to get him on the park. That is the main thing for me – he is going to offer us something different and I am looking forward to see how he operates."
The Stormers will be looking to bank a valuable five points before Super Rugby takes a break for the June international window.
They have failed to win a game in the last month and are coming off a 13-17 loss to the Bulls.
Fleck said his team feels the pressure ahead of their meeting with the Cheetahs.
"That pressure is there now.
"Every week is now important. It is cup final stuff for us now, but we are certainly not going to lose sight of what we started. We are not going to get too distracted by the extra pressures of winning every game," said Fleck.
By Warren Fortune
@FortuneWarren
@rugby365com
