DON’T let the pressure get to you. That is a common message from coaches to players before big games, and it will be a particularly vital one on Sunday, when Glasgow Warriors take on Saracens in the quarter-final of the Champions Cup.

The match itself - the Warriors’ first time in the last eight - will be a daunting occasion. But assistant coach Dan McFarland reckons the real pressure will come from defending champions Saracens, who are especially good at harassing their opponents into making mistakes right from kick-off.

“They base their game on pressure,” McFarland said yesterday. “They certainly have the ability to play with width and tempo and play attacking rugby, but it isn’t the primary issue you have to deal with. You have to deal with the pressure game first - because it can be stifling.

“You can find yourself on the back foot, having points chipped off you. In Pat Lam’s first year at Connacht” - where McFarland coached before moving to Glasgow for the start of last season - “we had Saracens. We did all right at home, but away from home we lost by 60 points, and that’s because we got behind on the scoreboard early in the game, were left chasing the game, and they exploited us ruthlessly.

“We can’t afford to let that happen. We have to match them in the areas where they’re strong, which is around their set piece and their kicking game. We think we’re a pretty decent attacking side, so we’d like to think we’ll see that.”

Glasgow will find out tomorrow if Tim Swinson is free to play in Sunday’s match as the lock forward has an appeal hearing into the red card he was shown for a dangerous tackle in the PRO12 win against Connacht last Saturday. But if the Scotland lock is banned, McFarland is confident that the fast-improving Brian Alainu’uese can take over and partner Jonny Gray.

“When Brian came he was effectively a part-time player. You also have to remember he’s only 23 years of age. But when he came he was clearly a naturally gifted rugby player.

“The main thing he’s got here is just consistent training. When Brian arrived here he was 134 kilogrammes, and when a guy arrives at that weight who hasn’t been professional before the typical process would be they lose a bit of weight. Because they’ll be carrying a bit of fat or whatever and then training hard they’ll come down a bit. Then conditioning, they’ll start to build muscle and get heavier again.

“Brian didn’t. Within six weeks he was 140 kg and had far less fat. He’s an extraordinary athletic specimen, because he’s actually quite light on his feet for such a big guy. He’s never going to be an explosive Lee Jones-type player, but the professional training has added so much more for him.”

If Swinson is cleared to play, the Warriors will have to make a late call on whether to include him, but McFarland insisted that was the sort of decision they had to make regularly when Scotland players were released back to them at short notice. “You might not have a player then you might have him later in the week,” he explained. “So you’re used to preparing without guys and then plugging them in.”

Meanwhile, it was announced yesterday that if Glasgow win on Sunday, their semi-final will be played at Murrayfield. The Warriors had hoped to find a suitable Glasgow venue for the match, but none was available.