LONDON (AFP) - Saracens director of rugby Alan Gaffney believes Sunday's European Cup semi-final against one of his former clubs Irish giants Munster offers his side the ideal opportunity to claim the "respect" they feel they've been unjustly denied.

The north London club have been repeatedly labelled as the greatest underachievers in the English Premiership, with millionaire owner Nigel Wray bankrolling lavish spending on big-name players only for his dozen years in charge to be so far rewarded with just one trophy in the 1998 English Cup.

But under Gaffney they upset the formbook to beat the highly-fancied Welsh outfit Ospreys 19-10 in the quarter-finals of the European Cup.

"The players themselves set a target last year that they wanted to be a Saracens team that climbs to another level," the Australian explained on Wednesday.

"They want to be treated with respect. I've only been here two seasons but maybe Saracens haven't been treated with an awful lot of respect in the past.

"Now we're competing with the top sides on a regular basis so we're striving to get there.

"Losing to Gloucester and Wasps in the Premiership over the last two weekends has been disappointing for us but generally we're getting there.

"We want to be where Wasps or Leicester are. They have the desire to win every game they play and that's where we need to be."

Winning at Coventry football club's Ricoh Arena Stadium in the English Midlands on Sunday, would certainly improve Saracens' standing.

Before this season Saracens had never even reached the knockout stages of the European Cup.

By contrast, this is the 10th straight year 2006 European Cup champions Munster have made it out of the pool phase.

Gaffney, who guided Munster to successive semi-finals in 2003 and 2004 is well aware of the reasons for their impressive form.

"Munster have always had desire and you'd expect that desire to wane but it hasn't," he said.

"Ireland fly-half Ronan O'Gara contributes so much to what Munster do but it's the forwards who put Munster on the front foot and give Ronan the ability to play on the front foot.

"I don't think there's a better team in the world at playing on the front foot, whatever style of game.

"We know we must compete up front and that's where the battle will be won or lost. That will effect whether Ronan plays the game he wants.

"We understand the magnitude of the occasion. It's something that might never happen again and we have to take this opportunity.

"Win, lose or draw we have to give it our best shot and whatever happens, so be it. We've got to front up and if we do, we're in the game."

Munster are as renowned for a large passionate following, be it home or away, as much as for their results and an admiring Gaffney had nothing but praise for their fans.

"I can remember my first semi-final over in Toulouse. There was a farmer down in Kerry who only had four cows," he said.

"The only way he could get to the match was to sell one of them so that's what he did. That's the attitude of the people in Munster.

"Munster fans pay to be part of the team, other fans pay for entertainment."