The Rugby Football Union, given that its domestic cup lacked a sponsor until mid-season and there remains no prize-money for the finalists, should count its blessings today. Some still argue that 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 am. It has all the ingredients to be an energising, if busy, day and, as neither the Saints nor the Exiles have ever won a domestic trophy, the showpiece dish looks spicy enough on its own.
The last time the sides met, in late December, accusations of over-physical skulduggery were levelled at Northampton and Saints will be more than keen to try 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, nevertheless, that "the team who best control 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% kicker like Barry Everitt among the opposition any misdemeanours today are likely to 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 guile and mobility at source.
As for the 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, who employs a golf analogy to describe his side's season. They currently hover on the brink of Heineken Cup qualification and remain in contention for three trophies but 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.
There will also be around 25,000 Northampton fans present hoping for a game of rather less nerve-shredding excitement than last year's final between Newcastle and Harlequins, settled by Dave Walder's controversial late try. Romantics will favour Irish but the head inclines towards Northampton.
15 Michael Horak
14 Paul Sackey
13 Geoff Appleford
12 Brendan Venter
11 Justin Bishop
10 Barry Everitt
9 Hentie Martens
1 Mike Worsley
2 Naka Drotske
3 Rob Hardwick
4 Ryan Strudwick (capt)
5 Steve Williams
6 Eddie Halvey
7 Declan Danaher
8 Chris Sheasby
Replacements: Darren Edwards, James Brown, Rob Hoadley, James Cockle, Richard Kirke, Glenn Delaney, Simon Halford
15 Nick Beal
14 Craig Moir
13 Peter Jorgensen
12 John Leslie
11 Ben Cohen
10 Paul Grayson
9 Matt Dawson
1 Tom Smith
2 Steve Thompson
3 Mattie Stewart
4 Johan Ackermann
5 Olivier Brouzet
6 Andrew Blowers
7 Budge Pountney (capt)
8 Grant Seely
Replacements: Dan Richmond, Robbie Morris, Jon Phillips, Andy Rennick, Dom Malone, Mark Tucker, James Brooks
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