Graham Rowntree's eyes roll dramatically at the first mention of Munster's defeat to the Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park in March 2023.
Coming out of last year's Six Nations break, the province looked well placed to challenge for a home quarter-final, only for Franco Smith's Warriors to stage an ambush in Limerick.
The final score that day, 38-26 in Glasgow's favour, was largely flattering to Munster, who rallied to pick up a try-scoring bonus-point in the second half.
"28-0 at half time, wasn't it? I'll never forget that dressing room," Rowntree says, as he prepares for Glasgow's return to Thomond Park in the URC semi-finals on Saturday (6pm).
Nobody at Thomond Park that day would have predicted what was about to happen, as Munster went on a back-door run to the BKT United Rugby Championship title, going unbeaten away to the Stormers and Sharks, and then seeing off Glasgow, Leinster and the Stormers again.
What felt at the time like the last rites of their season proved to be their kiss of life. There will be no such second chances when the pair meet at Thomond this weekend.
"The term I've used widely, it gave us a punch in the nose," said Rowntree (below).
"Certainly, defensively, we changed some key elements of our game and how we were training, which stood to us. I say stood to us, we went to Durban and got beat by the Sharks the week after, but I look back at what we learned, and it stood to us since then."
Rowntree's side exacted revenge on Glasgow by defeating them at Scotstoun in the quarter-final later that season, while they also won against the Warriors when the side met earlier this season in Cork.
What looked like being a straightforward Munster win that night proved to be anything but as the Warriors scored five tries, all off mauls, picking up a losing bonus-point for themselves, in spite of their 40-29 defeat.
Their proficiency at the maul is backed up by numbers, with Glasgow hooker Johnny Matthews finishing as the league's top tryscorer, crossing the line 14 times this season.
"They certainly do still have that weapon," said the 53-year-old.
"The tries they've scored in the URC from the set-piece pay testament to that.
"That [game in Cork] was the first of December, we conceded more than we should have, and it made us have a change of philosophy in how we were defending mauls.
"They've got the full package, they can play, they're dangerous on the edge of the field, they kick a lot less than most teams, they have a dangerous breakdown, and they come here with - reading between the lines - quite a gnarly attitude, similar to us on the road last year.
"We spoke about that mindset this week. That's what we're waiting for."
Glasgow booked their trip to Limerick by defeating the Stormers 27-10 at Scotstoun last Saturday, with Franco Smith's side wearing the South Africans down before scoring two late tries to put the sheen on their win.
"They stayed in the game last week. It was a 13-10 game at 70 minutes. They've got the full package, the best maul and scrum in the URC, and they're dangerous. They have depth at the edge of the field.
"They've already talked about what we did in the quarter-final last year, paying us back. I thought it was very impressive the way they stayed in the game last week.
"I think since Franco has come in… I'm a big fan of Franco Smith. He was coach of the year last year for a reason. They won’t go away will they?
"As I say, they have multiple threats. I remember last year a choke tackle in the breakdown, it was one thing we had to be good at…so many things when you scout them and analyse them, so many things you've got to be good at that you quickly forget about yourselves really, about what you do. That’s the kind of respect we have for them."
Munster don't appear to have any fresh injury worries from Friday's win over Ospreys, with Alex Nankivell on course to be fit, after overcoming an ankle injury, while Rowntree has hinted he may go back to the 6:2 bench split that served them well in previous weeks.
The squad held their big training session of the week on Tuesday in Limerick, and Rowntree says their home advantage throughout the play-offs has allowed them manage their load well throughout the week.
"It is nice being at home, in the glorious Limerick weather, training at the same venue," he added.
"We'll have another hit out Thursday, and we won't do much after that because it's about what you don't do this time of year, as I said Saturday night. We've got a lot in the bank, physically.
"The guys have trained well today, and a hit out Thursday and that'll do it. It's nice being here without a load of travel."
Watch the URC semi-final, Bulls v Leinster, on Saturday from 2.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player,
Listen to live commentary of Bulls v Leinster, and Munster v Glasgow Warriors on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1, and follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app.
