Stag Trinidad Northern red hot favourite to take Marcus Minshall Cup
The Marcus Minshall Cup is local rugby's equivalent of football's coveted and prestigious FA Cup. as in football lifting the Cup on Cup Final day is a cherished ambition.
The FA Cup is rooted in romance as 'the Davids take on the Goliaths' with the aspiration of staging unlikely upsets.
Rugby is no exception. Cup final day has retained its allure.However,Since its first incarnation in 1969,the Marcus Minshall Cup has never been kind to underdogs. The giants of local rugby dominate the honour roll. Trinidad Northern first lifted the coveted cup in 1972 and most recently in 2003 and 2007.
Caribs RFC have lifted the Cup on more than twenty occasions. Defence Force, Roebucks,Royalians are the other teams who have tasted Marcus Minshall glory.
In 1997, GF Utd(amalgam of Guevaras and Falcons RFC played Caribs in the final losing 33-3. in 1998 GF merged into the Harvard Club to become the established national sporting institution's rugby section.
Harvard Club will be making its first ever appearance in the Marcus Minshall Cup Getting there by the default route after Police Sports Club could not field a full team in the semi final.
Trinidad Northern took the hard route to the final first battling Cup holders and arch rivals Caribs to a hard fought 5-5 stalemate in the first semi final.
In the replay Last Saturday at Presidents Ground St Anns. Northern edged Caribs in a physical and contentious replay 15-13. The fact that Northern also took the Bruno Browne Cup is conclusive proof of their big game mindset , indomitable will and championship mettle.
Harvard and Stag Trinidad Northern met twice before in this year's rugby season. Their two Toyota Championship battles were won by Trinidad Northern.
Marcus Minshall was called "The Sheriff''. He would arrive back home from representing T&T at cricket and head out immediately to don T&T colours in rugby.For him very game was an event and a special occasion. As a rugby player Minshall played every position. As a captain he demanded excellence from himself and his team. Given the specialness of a Cup final and the fact that it is not just about the 80 minutes of rugby. But what the final represents.Not least the end of the rugby season.
On Saturday Trinidad Northern will emerge from their dressing room confident that their rich vein of recent form and history rests firmly in their favour.