Saints prepared for Munster in Heineken Cup - Hartley

Munster beat Saints 12-9 at Thomond Park in January

Northampton Saints captain Dylan Hartley knows club rugby rarely gets tougher than Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final clash against Munster.

Hartley told BBC Radio Northampton: "It's easy to talk and then sometimes it doesn't happen but this is big enough that everyone will deliver.

"These games are why we play. A win would confirm that we are a serious team, to people that don't know us.

"It would be important to this town and a reward for the players."

Hartley added: "Heineken Cup [progress] would be outstanding and an achievement in it's own right."

Saints are still hopeful of a Premiership, Heineken Cup and LV= Cup treble but reigning champions Munster have lost just one European game at Thomond Park in 15 years.

Hartley knows that Ronan O'Gara, closing in on 2,000 points for Munster, is capable of punishing the Saints with his kicking accuracy.

Hartley was named club captain at the start of the 2009/10 season

"Discipline will be a massive factor in this game. It's that old saying, 'head in the freezer, body on fire'," he continued.

"Their pack has internationals throughout -they are a street-wise and gnarly - but we're young, dynamic, enthusiastic, and we work hard for each other."

Saints forwards coach Dorian West was part of the dominant Leicester side that won unprecedented back-to-back Heineken Cups.

He believes the quarter-final offers Saints another chance to impress at the top level.

"We want to keep learning and progressing as a squad, and these are the occasions you need to be involved in to do that," he said.

"Munster are something we aspire to be, and we want to be in this situation more often."

Northampton flanker Phil Dowson has had an impressive season since his move from Newcastle in the summer making 26 appearances and scoring seven tries.

"Munster have got a hell of a record, we'll have to be 100% and make sure there's no mistakes," he said.

"We go in as underdogs but it's not a tag we're afraid of. We can enjoy that and use that to our advantage.

"Every side in the world is beatable."