EUROPEAN CUP SARACENS V MUNSTER:THE JOKES were flying thick and fast. "I was on to Geraghty (Pat, Munster media officer) yesterday, asked him to send me their lineout calls," chirped Saracens coach Alan Gaffney at the team training ground outside London. "Ask him to leave them in the back of a taxi," quipped a journalist (Gloucester allegedly left their calls in a taxi before playing Munster).

Gaffney knows a thing or two about Munster and to listen to the Australian talking about his former club you might think he was still a signed up member.

"Well Munster are Munster," he sighed expecting all to understand exactly what he meant. And in truth they did. Munster are Munster, a seemingly permanent fixture at the latter stages of the European Cup.

Saracens are also Saracens, the team Gaffney has guided for two years and very much the antithesis of Declan Kidney's ever-delivering outfit. Where Munster have been high achievers and consistently excellent, Saracens have dipped and peaked. They have been a whole range of things except consistent and going into this weekend they are still trying to find the form that took out the favoured Ospreys at the quarter-final stage.

"You can talk about all of the technical issues and tactics. But you have to front up," explained Gaffney. "When you play a side like Munster you have got to front up. Once you can do that then you are in the game. Munster are a team that have belief, particularly with the pack they have. We have to believe too. We have to believe we can match them and beat them."

For Gaffney, these past two seasons have been about building respect in the club, getting the team to play in a way that demands respect from other clubs and self-respect. That has been achieved only in part. Recent performances against Gloucester and against Wasps have shown a worrying and inexplicable dip in form. It is something Gaffney has "fronted up" to himself but for that no less of a concern stepping into their first European semi-final.

"We didn't perform against Gloucester and against Wasps. The first 40 minutes was one of the low points of the season. Overall, we were not happy but the second half of that match (versus Wasps) gave us some good feelings, but not many.

"I know that we don't have a large squad. We have to get by and make do. Wasps can play two different forward packs four days apart. And that is great for Wasps but we want to compete. We want to be one of the elite.

" We are struggling at this point in time with numbers, just numbers. The players set a target last year to get to another level. Now we are competing with the top sides on a regular basis, although, maybe not all the time"

What is more is in England, there is a certain envy with regard to Ireland's perceived "gifted" situation with the ERC. Guaranteed three places in the competition without having to go through the "mincing machine" of the Premiership each season, it was hinted that Munster's ability to reach the latter stages of the competition is tied into their free pass every season.

"It's true, we do have to qualify every season and sometimes we don't know what we have to do to qualify. But Munster have played in 10 quarter-finals. They see that as an achievement. Sure qualifying for Europe within the Premiership is a difficult exercise for all teams but I don't think that you can deny what Munster have done over the past number of years."

Gaffney also pointed to the support Munster can generate and to the organic relationship the team have with their fans. In big games, where the forward battles can determine the outcome of matches, the fever pitch of the crowd can sometimes weight in.

Even Gaffney had a ready-made anecdote.

"I remember the first semi-final with Munster against Toulouse. I met a Kerry farmer who had four cows. He said he sold one to get to the match. They will do anything to get tickets. Munster players are very close to supporters and always have been.

"They have open sessions where the fans can come and watch and have developed a very healthy relationship. But they also recognise when opponents are playing good rugby and they appreciate that too."

Short of killing Kidney's side with praise, Gaffney's knowledge of Munster "doesn't make it any easier". He knows also Saracens cannot allow them to get too far in front and to then dictate how the match is played.

"No, you don't want to give them too much," he says. "You don't want to try and chase them down. They are very good front runners." Expect a torrid start, Saracens playing for their much sought respect, Munster being, well, Munster.