However, “there’s more to Gloucester” than the African connection, he says: “GG was obviously here at Munster and Jaco Kriel is a player I respect a lot. I coached him at the Springboks. Franco Marais was at the Sharks, so I know these guys, but I think there’s more to Gloucester than just the South African influence.

They’re well-drilled if you just look at their game over the last year, they’ve done very well. They were very unlucky not to win the Challenge Cup last year and they’re sitting in the top four in the Premiership.

“We’re under no illusions about what awaits us on Saturday. They have the second highest ball-in-play stats after Exeter in the Premiership. They like to hold onto the ball as well. They do it in a different way to Exeter, but this will be a real test.”

Van Graan acknowledged that Grobler will bring an insight into Munster’s game.

It’s the same as every week. You’ve got to be conscious that GG will know our lineout calls, but it’s the same as when we played against Racing; there are players that have been here before and then moved on.

“I think it will all be about Gloucester for them. If you worry too much about the opposition, you might make mistakes of your own. Just looking at all the games in Europe: Bar one, it’s all been 10 points or less, so your

discipline, field position and use of your opportunities are crucial.

“Some teams conceded cards and got punished heavily. Your set-piece has got to be good and you’ve got to be there at the end of the game.

“All of the games have gone down to the wire [over the weekend], so we’re not looking to change a lot this week.

“It’s all about our performance and following our process through the week.”

Van Graan described Grobler as “a quality player”.

“I think at the end of the campaign he did really well. I thought he played really well against Ulster in a home game, came off the bench a few times and made a big difference, like in that semi-final against Leinster (in the Guinness PRO14).

He’s a quality player with his ability around the lineout. You’ve just got to watch the way he catches a kick-off, he’s brilliant at that, and his offloading ability. He’s a quality rugby player and I think that’s why Gloucester bought him.

The Munster coach added that last weekend’s draw with Exeter was ‘a fair result’.

“We went there to win, we believed we could win that game, whilst knowing the quality of the opposition would be really, really tough.

“We saw the storm coming and, once you got on the field on Friday afternoon and felt that wind, we knew for 40

minutes that you’re going to be in a vastly different challenge to the other 40 minutes.

“I spoke to Rob [Baxter] after the game and I think it’s a fair result to both sides. We had an opportunity to win it, thinking to that missed opportunity with Chris that was deemed obstruction and right at the end they could have won it. They were one metre away, so I think it’s a fair result. We’ll take two points away from home and the fact that they didn’t get four points makes a big difference in the context of the group.

Disappointed with not coming away with the win, but very happy with the draw. Sometimes, with the bounce of the ball, you could go away from there with only one point and that would be very disappointing. Overall happy.

Van Graan said winger Keith Earls is to see a specialist this week to determine the severity of his hamstring

injury, which flared up before the Exeter game.

Sam Arnold got a blow to the throat and will also see a specialist, while John Ryan twisted an ankle in Saturday’s game and is “50-50”, said the coach. Long-term injury victim Conor Murray will not play against Gloucester while Alby Mathewson may train later in the week.