Munster captain Jim Williams insists the ghosts of last season's Heineken Cup final defeat by Leicester have already been to laid to rest.
And Williams, who succeeded Mick Galwey as captain of Munster following last May's controversial Millennium Stadium defeat, insists he and his team-mates have already moved on from that lowpoint and will be better off for it.
"At the beginning of a new season you have to reset your goals and go from there," Williams said.
"With personnel coming in and going out the ghosts of last season's final defeat have definitely been laid to rest. We've started this season now and won five out of six games so far and the lads are raring to go for Saturday.
"Not that it's something you forget. It still haunts guys years later, they still talk about the other finals or semi-finals they've played in and it's just something that's always there.
"But you learn from those experiences and they make you a better player, and us a better team overall.
"So it's something that's always with you but you've got to control it. It certainly does spur you on to strive and go that one better."
Williams supports coach Gaffney's view that a trip to Kingsholm represents the toughest of assignments.
But he is confident Munster's excellent European pedigree, having twice reached the final in the last three seasons either side of a semi-final appearance, will be a major factor in helping them to handle Gloucester's passionate fans.
"We've got a very difficult start to this campaign," he added, "but if we can get it right against Gloucester it certainly does help our chances in our pool and to go on from there."