Rugby Union: Capital rivals prepare for passion play

FRANcOIS PIENAAR wins cup finals in the precisely the same way that Louis Luyt makes enemies: efficiently, single-mindedly and with astonishing frequency. He played no fewer than 19 of them back home in South Africa, all as captain, and lost only one. As the late Kitch Christie said to his protege before the 1995 World Cup final in Johannesburg: "Hey Francois, when we get this far, we don't lose, eh?" And no, the Springboks did not lose.

Pienaar will not captain Saracens in this afternoon's Tetley's Bitter Cup final at Twickenham; that honour goes to Tony Diprose, a concert pianist of a No 8 whose soft hands and cherubic features tend to conceal the fact that he too is a natural leader, his inspirational qualities fired in the flames of recent adversity. But the most celebrated Springbok of modern times will be alongside him where it matters and as long as his dodgy hamstring permits him to remain there, Sarries will feel their name is on the trophy.

The competitive juices have been flowing at flood level all week, for Pienaar does not subscribe to the theory that sporting journeys are more satisfying than sporting arrivals. When a silver pot is glinting away on the mountain top, the big flanker from the high veldt likes to get there without delay. "It's been a fruitful year for us but it can still come to nothing," he said this week. "It is Saracens' first cup final; for all our achievements, most of the guys do not know what it takes to be a winner. It is time they found out."

Lawrence Dallaglio has been making similar noises on behalf of a Wasps team who discovered the art of winning last season but then suffered a lengthy bout of amnesia: "No one remembers the runners-up," he snarled. "When we last made the final in 1995, we regarded getting to Twickenham as an achievement in itself. Somehow, it was enough. It's not enough now.

"We've changed our perspective, raised our sights. Saracens have shown great character in taking the Premiership contest down to the wire without being able to put their best players on the field, but we also pride ourselves on our ability to look inside ourselves and produce something extra."

If the imminent collision of two supreme competitive spirits makes today's showpiece the most fascinating in years, it is vital that the game should realise its obvious promise; not just because English rugby is in need of a decent cup final - last year's Leicester-Sale affair was dismal beyond belief - but because the game in London urgently requires a public relations pick-me-up. Passions are running at a record high across the traditional union heartlands but Saracens apart, the capital clubs have struggled to quicken the imagination and raid the pockets of the vast potential audience on their doorstep.

Disturbingly, Wasps had shifted only half of their 15,000 ticket allocation by Tuesday afternoon and although Twickenham officials remain confident of a sell-out, there is no doubt that Londoners have been slower than their provincial brethren in taking the professional game to heart. "This final is good for London," Dallaglio asserted. "It's our job to make it something to remember."

Whatever happens, rugby will remember the contributions of Michael Lynagh, the most prolific scorer in Test history, and Philippe Sella, the most capped international of them all. Barring injury, both will play in Saracens' final Premiership match on Thursday; Sella, indeed, aims to return to Twickenham in a fortnight to appear for one side or the other in the Sanyo Cup. To all intents and purposes, however, this is the grand farewell. It will be emotional in the extreme, their presence capturing the sympathy vote from the 50,000 neutrals in the stands.

Wasps have made a virtue of fronting up against the odds and they are probably the fresher, quicker outfit, regardless of their inexplicable decision to leave Paul Sampson on the bench. But Saracens possess the best front five in England and a half-back pairing of consummate class. If their walking wounded make it all the way to the final whistle, one half of the double will surely be done and dusted.

SARACENS v WASPS

at Twickenham

G Johnson . 15 G Rees

R Constable . 14 S Roiser

P Sella . 13 M Denney

S Ravenscroft . 12 R Henderson

B Daniel . 11 L Scrase

M Lynagh . 10 A King

K Bracken . 9 M Friday

R Grau . 1 D Molloy

G Chuter . 2 S Mitchell

P Wallace . 3 W Green

P Johns . 4 M Weedon

D Grewcock . 5 S Shaw

B Sturnham . 6 J Worsley

F Pienaar . 7 P Volley

A Diprose, capt 8 L Dallaglio, capt

Referee: C White (Cheltenham) Kick-off: 3pm (Sky Sports 2)

Replacements: 16 M Singer; 17 R Wallace; 18 A Lee; 19 M Olsen; 20 A Bennett; 21 A Olver; 22 G Botterman.

Replacements: 16 P Sampson; 17 A Gomarsall; 18 M White; 19 A Reed; 20 I Dunston; 21 A Black; 22 T Leota.