Denis Leamy was in plenty of backs to the wall spots with Munster as a player - and that was usually when the Reds fired on all cylinders.
As Munster's defence coach since the summer, the ex-Ireland flanker admits it has been backs to the wall stuff from the word go - so needing a win in Northampton on Sunday doesn't feel all that different to what has gone before.
Last weekend's home defeat to Toulouse, albeit with a losing bonus point banked, leaves the province needing to beat the Saints away and, in the new year, at Thomond Park before they travel to Toulouse for their final pool game.
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Nothing less will do now, but Leamy gets it. “It's kind of felt like that for, I suppose, the last three or four months to be honest with you," he said.
"It's always been like that. It was always backs against the wall, proper pressure applied from in-house for these big European days.
“Every time you go out and represent Munster, it's a big day. And there is always that pressure. That pressure, and it's a good pressure may I add, coming from the fans and from in-house as well.
“There's always that pressure to go and deliver a performance - and it is really about performance. It's about us getting the process right. We have started the week well now, in terms of day-to-day building into that big game on Sunday.
“We need to deliver individual performances feeding into the collective. Look, we take confidence (from the last three weeks). We are really looking forward to this game.
"It's another great challenge for us. It's a big game and we wouldn't want it any other way.”
Munster continued to show signs in the 15-10 defeat to Toulouse that they are finding their way after a poor start to the season under new management that wanted to change massive chunks of the game plan.
That takes time and, while the attacking game is clicking, the Reds were disappointed with the manner in which they conceded both tries to the visitors - but especially the first, as it came all too easily off ruck ball.
"We can be better, there's no doubt about that and it was a disappointing one to give up but we have to take it on the chin," Leamy said.
"We've reflected on it and driven them hard over the last couple of days and I think we'll be a lot better for it."
The week brought good news mixed with bad - new deals for Andrew Conway, Jack Crowley and Jack O'Donoghue, but also confirmation that tighthead John Ryan had turned down a longer term deal to join the Chiefs in New Zealand.
“Look, John Ryan is obviously a guy who has won over 200 caps for Munster," said Leamy. "He has been a great player for Munster.
“John has got an amazing opportunity to go to New Zealand with his wife and family. It's a brilliant opportunity for him.
“We would have liked to keep him, it wasn't to be, but we wish John well and we'll see what happens in the future.”
And Northampton? "Absolutely, we'll go there to attack," insisted Leamy.
"We were chasing the game the other day against Toulouse but we tried to keep ball in hand, tried to play a fast game, we were putting phase after phase after phase together.
"The phases leading up to the last penalty, it was like 15 or 16 phases keeping the ball in a freezing fog. The boys' hands must have been falling off, like.
"It's not easy but we have the ability to do it. We're really trusting our attack and our ability to put the ball through the phases and play at a high tempo."
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