Munster coach Johann van Graan contends that Racing 92 are an improved side since Munster met them in the pool phase of this year's Champions Cup. 

The Two-time champs secured a bonus losing point after succumbing to two late penalties in their 34-30 loss to Racing 92 in the U Arena in Paris in January. 

The French club, who reached the Champions Cup final in 2016, were in serious danger of missing out on the knockout phase prior to that game. 

But that win over Munster and the subsequent victory over Leicester Tigers at Welford Road carried them into the quarter-finals as one of the best runners-up. 

The Munster coach said his charges were ready for a battle in Bordeaux on Sunday. 

"We respect this opposition because we've played against them quite a few times over the last few years and they've quality all across the park," he told RTÉ Sport. 

"They've improved quite a lot. They're sitting pretty well in the Top 14. They beat Leicester away and they've won some really big games in France.

"And we are a team that's got to go away to France this weekend. The one thing I've learned about my team is that we can fight. And we'll be ready for this battle.  

"There's no way to really predict anything. You've just need to go through your plan, make sure you are able to apply pressure and absorb pressure. And when a game of this magnitude enters the final ten minutes, especially if it's close, you need to be the team that's composed. 

Dimitri Szarzewski going over for a try in Racing's 34-30 win over Munster in January

Van Graan was part of the South African coaching setup when they lost the 2015 World Cup semi-final to New Zealand in Twickenham. 

He is keen that Munster don't get sucked into treating this game differently to any other. 

"It's the first semi-final in Europe that I've been involved with but luckily we've got a very experienced team that played in a semi-final last year," he said. 

"Just to take you back to my own experience in a World Cup semi-final, I think the mistake people make is to approach things differently because it's a semi-final.

"We've just got to stick to our normal week. Do the things that we do well. Everyone sticks to their roles. We plan well and on the off day, we get away from rugby."

On the injury front Van Graan said that Keith Earls, Simon Zebo and Jack O'Donoghue would all train on Wednesday afternoon. 

"All will be on the field tomorrow. Some will be on the field today, we'll take it really easy today.

"We'll put in two days of hard training and hopefully everybody will come through it and we'll make our decision on Thursday evening."

Follow Leinster v Scarlets via our live blog on RTÉ.ie and the News Now App (kick-off 3.30pm), or hear live updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport. Follow Racing 92 v Munster (kick-off 3.15pm) via our live blog or listen to live and exclusive radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport.