Warren’s willing Wasps
Gatland, the former Irish coach who has brought the Londoners to the last four in Europe, admits much of the success is due to a remarkable club ethos, which is a carbon copy of that found in Thomond or Musgrave Park.
"Anyone getting too big for themselves is quickly put back in line," he admits. "They'll get a clip around the ears at training and put in their place. I suppose you could say it's a very similar atmosphere to what happens in Ireland and what has happened in Munster particularly over the years.
"I mean when you have guys like Mick Galwey, Peter Clohessy and now Anthony Foley still involved, guys are hardly going to be allowed lose the run of themselves.
"There are lots of similarities between ourselves and Munster in the work-ethic sense and in allowing the players to have a bit of fun amidst all the hard work.
"I could give an example in Peter Richards who, at 25, has had four clubs, a bit of a misfit up to now, but he has settled brilliantly at Wasps. He has never been happier and the players have worked with him to make him feel at home."
Sunday's visit to Lansdowne Road will be special, more so given Gatland's acrimonious departure from the IRFU two seasons ago.
However he is not keen to engage in a war of words. The focus is solely on the weekend.
"I enjoyed my time in Ireland and this was bound to be a change. But I never had any difficulty settling in. One of the things I will say about the club is that it's made up of honest, hard-working people. It was a different challenge for me. What I've liked about the players is the hard work- ethic, the honesty I've found in the playing and back-room staff.
"There are no prima donnas in our club."
And he cites the club and England captain Lawrence Dallaglio as the epitome of that attitude. Gatland is fulsome in praising his skipper.
"He is the best captain I have ever seen from my side of the fence. He is an incredibly inspirational leader, wears his heart on his sleeve, he's a great talker and is totally respected by the players.
"He does some amazing things. For instance, after we have lunch, he'll be there tidying up, stacking dishes, putting chairs away. He's last off the bus after cleaning up those are the sort of things that endear him to people.
"After games, he tends to disappear and you'll find him having a beer and mingling with the supporters, despite the incredible pressure of time that's imposed on him."
Gatland believes Dallaglio's off-field demeanour is due to his upbringing.
"He wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth but his parents did everything to give him the best possible education. He was given every opportunity to develop as a person and a rugby player and has done that in full measure."
Given the wealth of international talent at this disposal, Gatland is certain they will not underestimate Munster, even after their markedly different semi-final performances.
Wasps crushed Gloucester by 30 points, while Munster sometimes struggled against Stade Français at Thomond Park.
Neither statistic is going to re-surface before Sunday, according to the Kiwi.
"I was very pleased with our win but Munster must have been happy with theirs as well. The scoreline was close enough but the victory was fully deserved.
"Maybe the fluidity wasn't as they would have liked. They coasted a bit but went into an extra gear when they needed to, maybe coasted a bit again but still had enough in reserve to win that game comfortably.
"They lifted the pace and intensity when required and never really looked like losing. That was what was most impressive about them.
"If anything, Alan Gaffney will probably be delighted because it gives him a lot of things to work on.
"It probably puts Munster into a stronger position because they recognise that they will have to cut down on mistakes and work on their defence a bit harder.
"We played so well against Gloucester that we could find it hard to fine-tune our performance, but what should be remembered is that virtually everything went right for us on the day.
"There is no guarantee that will happen on Sunday so we certainly expect to have it very tough."
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