THE Port Macquarie Pirates are one game away from facing off against their old foes the Hastings Valley Vikings in the Mid-North Coast Rugby final.
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But first they must account for the Kempsey Cannonballs tomorrow.
Coach Nigel Hurlston admitted it was hard not to get excited about the prospect of facing the Vikings in the final but was also cautious of the team getting too far ahead of itself.
"We've got to beat Kempsey yet," he said.
"We've beaten them three times this year but each time it's been very close.
"They're certainly not a push over, they'll be prepared and they'll come at us hammer and tong.
"If we go into this game thinking we're already in the grand final it will come back to bite us."
Hurlston said it would be near impossible to put the idea of a grand final against the Vikings completely out of mind and instead said the team must take that enthusiasm into the game tomorrow.
"You've just got to roll with it and use the excitement against Kempsey," he said.
"It is exciting to think about, it would be good for the town and good for rugby as a whole if we were to play the Vikings."
This weekend though Hurlston will bank on the experience of the likes of Jacob Law and Chris Young.
"Kempsey are a hard side who have forwards who will go hard all game," he said.
"We need to make sure we get more time and more room and hopefully our fitness will ware them out."
He said Law was a no nonsense hard running centre and the said the plan was to give him more ball.
Hurston also expects Young to give his all as usual and as scrum half to be vocal all game.
The match kicks off at Stuart Park tomorrow at 3pm.