Given that its domestic cup lacked a sponsor until mid-season and there remains no prize money for the finalists, the English Rugby Football Union should count its blessings today. There are still those who argue the oldest club knock-out competition has outlived its usefulness but a 75,000-capacity crowd shows what the majority of Twickenham patrons think.

If the main attraction is a potentially compelling final between Northampton and London Irish, six other sides ranging from Rotherham to Gosport and Fareham will also be contesting three further Powergen-backed club finals from 10.45 a.m. It has all the ingredients to be an energising, if busy, day, as neither the Saints nor the Exiles have ever won a domestic trophy.

The last time the sides met, in December, accusations of over-physical skulduggery were levelled at Northampton and they will be keen to use their legitimate forward power to nullify Irish's first-class recycling game.

According to their coach Wayne Smith, whose side have been playing some storming rugby lately, there is also a fervent desire to reward those Saints fans who have seen them lose two previous Twickenham finals. "They want us to roll up our sleeves and shed a bit of blood for them and that's what we're determined to do," warned Smith.

The former All Black coach acknowledges "the team who best controls their emotions will win" and keeps stressing he has never lost a game in which his side has conceded fewer than eight penalties. With an 80 per cent kicker like Barry Everitt among the opposition any Twickenham misdemeanours will be punished but, unless his weighty pack blast open their opponents' well-organised defence early on, Smith may also require Budge Pountney to get on the floor and suppress Irish's mobility at source.

As for London Irish, whose only other Twickenham final was in 1980 when they lost to Leicester, they have been transformed into the jolliest of green giants under their player-coach Brendan Venter. Venter's mind is still full of images from last week's US Masters at Augusta. "We're at Amen Corner now," he insisted. "If we make a triple bogey at the 13th we lose."

As their director of rugby Conor O'Shea graphically puts it Irish are proud to be where they are - "If you'd offered it to me at the start of the season I wouldn't just have bitten your hand off, I'd have become a cannibal" - but appreciate the hard part has only just begun.

Romantics will favour Irish but the head inclines towards Northampton.

Guardian Service