A year earlier they fell short at the French club’s Basque fortress, losing 19-10 in their only previous visit there.

Questions were asked before the quarter-finals three weeks ago whether Munster were a fading force in Europe, but all doubts were dispelled by their resounding victory over Northampton.

A more daunting challenge awaits in San Sebastian but O’Gara believes their aging warriors have the big-game temperament to prevail against the odds once again.

“Most of us are in our 30s, we’re a mature team,” said O’Gara, who will lead the side in the absence of injured captain Paul O’Connell.

“As opposed to coming through academies, we came through the Munster Senior Cup or we came through the AIL where there were big derby games, big pressure games.

“As youngsters, that inexperience is invaluable to you.

“It’s 80 minutes tomorrow. It’s knockout rugby, but we’ve been in a lot of semi-finals before.

“Will there be pressure? Of course, but there’s pressure in every game. It’s how you think about these things that counts.

“The more you mature, the more you get excited about these games and they’re to be looked forward to.

“I think we have a nice sprinkling of youth in our team and there’s confidence there, there has to be confidence there. We’re in a good position.”

Munster, tournament winners in 2006 and 2008 and beaten finalists in 2000 and 2002, cherish success in the Heineken Cup above all else.

Their entire season is structured around the competition, with the Magners League a secondary consideration.

“It’s the competition that makes us tick,” said Ireland fly-half O’Gara. “The Magners League is being put to bed for a while and we have a realistic chance of making the top four in that,

“But the Heineken Cup is the one that all the players and the supporters want to win.”

Biarritz have been hit by the loss of key centre Damien Traille to a forearm injury but outstanding number eight Imanol Harinordoquy has been passed fit after breaking his nose on domestic duty last weekend.

The French giants sit a disappointing seventh in the French Top 14, jeopardising their hopes of qualifying for next year’s Heineken Cup.

Winning this season’s competition, which will be concluded in Paris on May 22, has consequently taken on greater importance and captain Jerome Thion claims the odds are stacked against his side.

“Munster play in the Magners League, which is not as intense as the French league, and, just like Leinster, they give their all for European rugby so they are both focused on that and they also have fewer games than us during a season,” he said.

“They are used to these major showpiece occasions and have been crowned European champions twice so we are certainly up against one of the top European squads.

“But there is absolutely no feeling of an inferiority complex on our part and we have beaten them in the past, even though it was five years ago.”