Inside knowledge is very well but if Saracens are to beat Munster tomorrow at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, and appear in their first Heineken Cup final, the players must believe that they can win. The insider is Alan Gaffney, their own coach, who spent three seasons with the Irish province during the period when Declan Kidney was otherwise engaged with Ireland.

The word is that Kidney will resume duties with the national side, succeeding Eddie O'Sullivan as head coach, having achieved a matchless reputation within the country for his achievements with Munster. But at least Gaffney has been able to give Saracens some idea of the force that drives Munster on and has made them, in the new ranking list issued last month by European Rugby Cup Ltd, the No1 team of the past four years.

Munster head Toulouse by a single point in that list. Saracens stand eleventh (and London Irish even lower, in fourteenth) which suggests that the verdict tomorrow should be straightforward. Munster have the pedigree, the players and the plan to appear in their fourth final. This is their seventh semi-final, of which only two have been on Irish soil, and they even have a familiarity with the Ricoh Arena that Saracens have not.

They played London Wasps there last November, in a pool match, and lost by a point. “We have said from day one that we want to be one of the elite, where Leicester and Wasps are, expecting to win every game but with a smaller squad and the injuries we have, we are struggling at this time just for numbers,” Gaffney said.

He does not need to create the expectation of Munster as overwhelming favourites, it is already there and the red-shirted support, who will push the attendance towards the 32,000 capacity, fondly anticipate a return to Cardiff where, in 2006, Munster won the title. On the other hand, it does remove any pressure from Saracens: all they have to do is go out and play and, as they showed in the last round against the Ospreys and as they have indicated at times in the Guinness Premiership, when they discover their best game, they can match anyone.

Such discoveries are not made consistently. “Maybe Saracens have not been treated with an enormous amount of respect,” Gaffney said, still underwhelmed that the former England management could find no one from his club worth a place in the senior or Saxons squad. “But now we are competing with the top sides on a regular basis. We're not there yet, but we're striving to get there.” Saracens are short of leaders, something that the recruitment policy of the incoming head coach, Eddie Jones, will address. Players such as Richard Haughton and Matt Cairns have taken longer to mature than expected and there are not many more years left for Richard Hill (who retires after this season), Kevin Sorrell and Kris Chesney.

Those five, though, will be at the heart of everything positive Saracens achieve tomorrow. Sorrell and Haughton put colleagues on the front foot, Chesney is winning lineouts and carrying ball better than at any time, Cairns's throwing and mobility have always been features of the club's better days this season and Hill, well he is just a legend. “Very few people get to play a semi-final in Europe,” Gaffney said. “I was involved with a couple with Munster, I know what an honour it is regarded as there. The forwards put them on the front foot and give Ronan [O'Gara] the ability to play, so the battle will be up front.” But Gaffney makes the point that, since he left Munster, he has changed as a coach and they have changed as a team.

The arrival of Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi has given them a midfield impetus they did not have and the addition of Doug Howlett has given them a class finisher. It is hard to believe that they will not be in Cardiff for next month's final.

Pluck of the Irish

Why Munster should be feared:

- The Irish province’s record in Europe is second only to Toulouse. This will be their seventh semi-final.
- Five of their squad have featured in all - Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer, John Hayes, Donncha O’Callaghan and Anthony Foley.
- They have appeared in three finals, losing to Northampton in 2000 and Leicester in 2002 but lifting the trophy at the third time of asking by beating Biarritz in 2006.