Although the match is a Round 5 tie and there is still one more pool-stage game to play, Munster are six points behind the French club in second place and only one in front of Saracens. They also come off a 38-17 Guinness PRO14 defeat at Ulster last weekend.

“We’re really looking forward to it,” he said. “We know that for this season’s European campaign it’s a knockout game for us. If we want to progress any further in this competition for this year, we have to win on Sunday.

“There’s a feeling of excitement in the camp. We took responsibility as a group on Monday morning after that performance against Ulster. We got dominated up front, but we move on.

“We felt that we’ve done really well in Europe. We were one drop-kick away from beating Racing at home in a fantastic game of rugby.

“We got the five points away against Ospreys and the two Saracens games were massive. We had an opportunity to gain a [losing bonus] point against Saracens, which we didn’t use. After that we always knew this was going to be a huge game.”

Van Graan admitted that he has always been impressed by Racing and knows what to expect from them, after Munster were edged out 34-30 in a Pool 4 thriller at Paris La Defense Arena two years ago.

“They’ve got a fantastic club and an incredible squad,” the South African commented. “If you look at those names, it’s a world team.

“Certain parts of their game are in my view the best in Europe, possibly in the world. Their lineout contesting is incredible and they play with a lot of speed.

“We always knew this was going to be a tough pool. We learned quite a lot the last time we were in Paris two years ago. [It was] an incredible game of rugby.”

Munster Rugby head coach Johann van Graan branded his side’s Heineken Champions Cup clash at Pool 4 leaders Racing 92 on Sunday as “a knockout game” for the Irish province.