KUALA LUMPUR: The Agong's Cup rugby final between defending champions Police and Johor at UiTM Stadium, Shah Alam tomorrow is set to be a close fought affair between two sides which have immense respect for each other.
After a long period of decline, Police have re-established themselves as one of the powerhouses of Malaysian rugby over the last three seasons.
They reached the semi-finals in 2022 and ended a 32-year wait for an Agong's Cup title by winning it last year. They previously won the inaugural Agong's Cup in 1983 followed by further wins in 1985 and 1991 before being overshadowed by other teams in the competition.
Police head coach K. Dinesvaran has warned his players that there will be no room for mistakes against Johor.
Dinesvaran captained the Police side and was named man of the match in the Agong's Cup final last year when they beat Putrajaya. He has since retired from playing and has moved into coaching.
"About six or seven of our players from last year's squad have left so we filled their places with younger players who are hungry and eager to learn, but may not have the same level of experience," said Dinesvaran yesterday.
"Johor have plenty of experienced players who know how to utilise any chances that come their way.
"This is something we have to be careful about. I have warned our players to not give Johor any chances, which includes penalties. We have to be careful both in defence and attack, we can't make any mistakes."
Police defeated Perlis (29-10) in the quarterfinals and Terengganu (33-20) in the semi-finals last week.
Johor - Agong's Cup winners in 2013 and 2017 - are hungry to win their third title.
Johor head coach Abdul Hanis Mokhta stressed that his team will have to be at their best to have any chance of beating an in-form Police side.
"I know that Police are the strongest team in Malaysia at the moment. There is a reason they are the defending champions," said Abdul Hanis.
"They have a very well balanced side, their forwards are strong and so is their backline, this is their strength. They also have quality import players.
"But having said that, I believe our team has improved with each match we have played and have now found our rhythm.
"We have a plan for the final and we are working to improve ourselves in all departments, especially in terms of our structure."
Johor had beaten Perak (30-10) in the quarterfinals and Selangor (24-17) in the semi-finals last week.
The third-place playoff between Terengganu and Selangor, who reached their first Agong's Cup semi-final this year since 2006, will also be held tomorrow (Oct 27) at UiTM Stadium.
Meanwhile, the World Rugby Growth Development Conference organised by World Rugby (WR) with the support of Malaysia Rugby (MR) began in Petaling Jaya today.
Representatives from Asian unions are attending the programme which is intended to discuss further ways to grow the game in the region.