Canberra Royals and Gungahlin Eagles shake off uncertainty for John I Dent Cup final

The Canberra Royals captain admits there were times he thought the club's search for back-to-back John I Dent Cup titles would come to a grinding halt when COVID-19 struck.

The competition was delayed and some across ACT rugby clubs wondered if it was in their best interests to pack up and start planning for next year. Officials had contingency plans in place, pondering sevens tournaments instead of a bona fide first grade competition.

Instead Johnston has a chance to lift the trophy again as Royals prepare to face the Gungahlin Eagles in the grand final on Saturday.

"This is the best week of the year. Every game leading up to this, it's always in the back of your mind. You want to play in a grand final, you want to make it," Johnston said.

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"This week we're there, and that pressure of making the grand final is off now and you can just enjoy being at training, being around that group, and focusing on that job for the weekend.

"Obviously experience in these games is unreal. I'd like to say it will help us at different times in different stages of the game, just being able to calm some of those younger guys to let them know what we need to be doing and how we need to do it.

"In saying that, they've got a lot of experience, maybe not necessarily John I Dent experience, but some at a higher level."

Like Matt Giteau's 103 Tests for the Wallabies, James Dargaville's stints with the ACT Brumbies and Japan Sunwolves, or match-winning goals and tries in Super Rugby scored by Mack Hansen and Issak Fines.

That's just in the Eagles' backline, which ran amok little more than a fortnight ago to put 62 unanswered points on Royals.

But winger Jamie Kotz says that will count for little when they charge onto the field in search of a drought-breaking grand final triumph.

If anything, he says this weekend stands as a roll of the dice for those trying to pick a winner - and only the most persistent side will prevail.

"The past is in the past for a reason, it's behind us," Kotz said.

"The confidence is building week in, week out. Having those older heads and the knowledge we do in the back line really helps the whole team. It's taken a little while for us to start moulding and coming together as a group, and luckily it's at the right time of the season.

"Last time we won a grand final was 2003, and last time we were in a grand final was in 2007, both while I was still quite young at school. The buzz around the club about us being in another one is really fantastic at the moment."

JOHN I DENT CUP GRAND FINAL DAY

Saturday at Viking Park: John I Dent Cup - Canberra Royals v Gungahlin Eagles on field one, 3.15pm.

ACT Women Premier XVs - Uni-Norths Owls v Canberra Royals on field one, 5.30pm.

Spence Cup [second grade] - Gungahlin Eagles v Tuggeranong Vikings on field one, 1.20pm.

Colts - Queanbeyan Whites v Canberra Royals on field one, 11am.

Third grade - Gungahlin Eagles v Wests Lions on field two, 11.40am.

Fourth grade - Queanbeyan Whites v Wests Lions on field two, 9.30am.