"You must leave nothing in the tank," Reihana (25), a Dunedin courier, said ahead of today's final at Carisbrook.
"You have got to perform for your team-mates with whom you've worked hard all year. You want nothing better than to cap off the year with a banner at the end."
University A has not won the banner since 2004 and is desperate for a win.
"It's pretty important for the club," captain Brad Cameron (22), an accountancy student, said.
"We have been the top team in the Gallaway Trophy for the last three years but have fallen in the semifinal and the quarterfinal. It is important to finish it off this time."
Cameron, a dynamic flanker, likes to lead from the front, a trait he adopted while captaining the First XV at King's College in Auckland.
It is his third year with University A and he captained the Otago Colts team last year.
He is confident of a student win today.
"We won the Gallaway Trophy by 15 points and have only lost one game this year," he said.
"We have eight guys in the wider Otago training squad and an All Black in our team."
Cameron leads a lively loose forward trio that includes All Black Adam Thomson at openside and the dynamic Paul Grant at No 8.
Thomson and halfback Sean Romans are the only survivors from the University A team that won the banner in 2004.
The lineout is an area where the students are expected to dominate with locks Josh Townsend and Hoani Matenga, and loose forwards Thomson and Paul Grant.
Reihana is confident Alhambra-Union can win its own ball with lock Mitch Ewen.
"I'm confident that our lineout boys can do the job, otherwise they would not be there," he said.
The students have suffered a blow this week with a quadriceps injury to ace goal-kicker Chris Noakes, who has scored 121 points in club rugby this winter. He will still play at first five-eighth but Romans, a part-timer at best, will kick for goal.
Reihana, the Alhambra-Union goal-kicker, has scored 153 points to lead all premier scorers.
CLUB FINAL
- University A v Alhambra-Union
When: Today, 2.45pm
Where: Carisbrook
Key areas
• Lineouts: Can Alhambra-Union jumper Mitch Ewen match the skills of University's Josh Townsend, Hoani Matenga, Adam Thomson and Paul Grant?
• Goal kicking: University A's Chris Noakes is carrying an injury and Sean Romans will kick for the students. Luke Reihana is the Alhambra-Union kicker.
• Pace out wide: University A's Matt Faddes, David Thompson and Ryan Grant matched against Alhambra-Union's Peter Breen, Paula Kinikinilau and Tilitili Puloka.
