MSP lock Nick Harrison looking forward to final against Tawa

When Marist St Pat's last won the Jubilee Cup in 2012, Nick Harrison was playing in the Colts side.

The lock - who has started in every match this year - summed up his four seasons in the Premiers so far. "In 2013 we didn't make the semi-finals, in 2014 we lost the semi-final and in 2015 we lost the final, so hopefully the pattern of improvement continues this year!"

More often than not bucqi Jubilee Cup finals are decided in the dark arts of the forwards, and Harrison will be in the thick of the battle on Saturday.

Tight five exchanges are usually fierce and feisty and always hard-fought to the final whistle. The forwards battle was amplified late in the match the last time MSP lifted the Jubilee Cup in 2012. The final was on tenterhooks deep in to the second half when an altercation at a lineout and a sin-binning of an Oriental-Rongotai player helped MSP hang on and win 14-8 and seal their 14th title.

In pouring rain at the Hutt Recreation Ground, MSP's forwards really stepped up that day, with their tight five, Kas Leamananua, Liu Taitavae, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Lua Lokatui and Bernie Upton, all taking a bow afterwards.

Harrison and MSP are raring to go one last time this season this Saturday against Tawa.

"It's definitely the end of the season, my shoulders and body will certainly tell you that! But it's holding up well and I'm looking forward to Saturday.

"The focus has really picked up for us. We sort of shifted gears four or five weeks ago and it was almost player driven rather than coach driven at training

Harrison was coming back from a rib injury in last year's final loss to Old Boys-University.

"I came on for the last 30 minutes, just in time for the big comeback. We pulled it back everywhere but on the scoreboard at the end." OBU led 18-6 at halftime and had their tails up, but MSP rallied to come back to lose 27-30.

"Realising that we were only half a step off the pace in that final is at the forefront of our minds. It reminds us that with just a little bit more effort and execution we can win this time."

Both games this year between MSP and Tawa have been close. MSP won 31-20 in their Swindale Shield outing and repeated the dose with a 12-8 win in the Jubilee Cup round-robin a few weeks ago.

"Yes we've beaten them twice this year, but no team makes the final without earning it. They have got some big ball runners and are strong all-round, so the onus is on us to control our game, make fewer mistakes and give them nothing to capitalise on."

Experience plays a big part, and MSP have had two of the sagest players in the competition at halfback and first five-eighth in Peter Sciascia and Fa'atonu Fili.

Unfortunately, Sciascia won't be playing in the final, breaking his leg in the last 10 minutes against Ories in last weekend's semi-final. What boost does Fili give the MSP forwards?

"Trust is a big thing there. You can trust his experience. The best outcome coming out of a scrum with clean ball is knowing that the backs are able to use it well. With Tons [Fili] at pivot and with the calibre of guys outside of him, there's a good chance they'll do something with it.

"If the forwards can trust the backs and we can trust each other and everyone operates by the same systems and plays by the same music score that's when the real flair starts to happen. That's when they can create opportunities out of nothing."

MSP's supporters will be out in force at Porirua Park on Saturday, including the famous Vatican Army.

"Having our supporters there is a big factor. The Vatican Army especially only comes out when we make the finals. When there's hundreds if not thousands of supporters there in the stands it's a big boost.

"Judging on last year, the noise of the Jubilee Cup final helps a lot. It picks you up when you are down, when you are at the bottom of the ruck and you hear the chanting that's the two percent that you need to get over the line."

If MSP wins, how will the celebrations go?

"Past celebrations are the stuff of legend. Although we're not thinking about that, in the back of your mind you do know that rewards are waiting for you. I know last year we lamented afterwards!"

Nick is a St Pat's Town Old Boy and, as well as a stint in France living and playing in Arras (a reciprocal arrangement), he's played all his senior rugby since leaving school for the MSP Colts and Premiers.

Win or lose, Nick said he's probably going to take the rest of the year off rugby before getting back into it next season.