And, while Edinburgh have won just five times and lost 15 in the PRO12, their form in the Heineken Cup this season has been the complete opposite.
They ended the pool stage with five wins and one loss and set up a semi-final clash with Ulster this weekend after edging out Toulouse 19-14 in the last eight.
De Luca is well aware of the disparity and insists Edinburgh's performances have simply not been good enough - something he is hoping to avoid against Ulster.
"There have been huge individual performances in the Heineken Cup, which we just have not seen throughout the squad in the Rabo," De Luca told the Scotsman.
"We don't want to be a team that just concentrates on the Heineken Cup and, personally, I am embarrassed about where we are sitting in the Rabo.
"Usually, come round three or four of the Heineken Cup we are already chasing, already bottom of the group and saying that we need to win these next games to have any chance of staying in Europe.
"For once we were actually at the top, building momentum and it showed in performances and results. It has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde with the league.
"We seem to turn up in a completely different frame of mind for the Heineken Cup games - I am just hoping the right guy turns up on Saturday."
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