Munster coach Alan Gaffney tonight paid tribute to Gloucester after seeing his twice Heineken Cup finalists dismantled 35-16 at Kingsholm.
It was one of Munster's heaviest Heineken Cup defeats as Gloucester translated their impressive domestic form onto the European stage.
They outscored their opponents 4-1 on tries and also sent warning signals flashing across Europe that they are serious title contenders.
Rarely have Munster been so outplayed in the European environment, but they were just the latest victims of Gloucester's mighty resurgence.
"We were delighted with our first half performance, but in the second period, we didn't perform, " Gaffney said.
"It is hard to play against a side as competent as Gloucester when you haven't got the ball. Basic errors put us on the back foot, and you cannot give that amount of possession to a team as good as Gloucester.
"Gloucester are a very competent side. They are strong up-front, with good half-backs and a lot of firepower out wide - they are very impressive.
"Playing at Kingsholm has an uplifting effect for Gloucester, but I don't think that this result will shake our belief.
"Of the four tries Gloucester scored, two were from line-outs and one from a kick through, so it wasn't as though we fell apart totally."
