Te Tua Kemp will want to make all kickable points count tomorrow against Border.
Settler's Honey Ngamatapouri would like nothing more than to prove a point by holding off Waverley Harvesting Border in the return game for Tasman Tanning Premier's newest derby tomorrow.
It has been an interesting experiment introducing Ngamatapouri to Premier rugby this year - still just three seasons into their club's resurrection thanks to generous sponsorship and player employment opportunties.
Ngamatapouri have seven wins from their 14 matches, including major scalps at home in the Waitotara Valley over PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape and Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist, with Border now taking their turn to make the big trip, although Waverley is the shortest distance for any Premier team.
Arguably, the promoted Senior champions started their bid to make the Premier semifinals in their first year up with a weaker lineup than 2016, after Steelform Wanganui representatives Malakai Volou and Michael Nabuliwaqa had to go back to Fiji before the season kickoff due to visa issues, while skipper Reid Belton has only managed to play one match due to recurring injury.
As a one-team club which relies on recruitment, it has always been an issue for Ngamatapouri to have enough bodies for 80 minutes of intensity, which they could get away with back in Senior due to their stars running roughshod.
Absence were felt when Wanganui reps Bryn Hudson and Samu Kubunavanua went down hurt, being unavailable to compliment the rest of the franchise quartet in Jim Seruwalu and Emosi Vucago.
Discipline in pressure games was also an issue when Josia Dawai, Abu Toraca and Isireli Baleitavuku had to take automatic stand downs at different stages.
Manager Gerald Pearce said these were the lessons that had to be learned to construct a winning Premier season.
"It's just the attrition and the injuries.
"We went into those 4-5 games with 16-17 people and it's just not enough.
"And [it was] the shellshock of the start, I suppose.
"We didn't have any preseason, [but] we could have won the second and third games.
"Just about every game we've got to the 60 minute mark and still been in the game.
"I don't think it's fitness - it's lack of bench."
With a couple of exceptions, Ngamatapouri are just about at full strength for Border's arrival, hoping to still be in touching distance after an hour - as they were under lights in Waverley on May 5 when trailing 21-13 but then conceeding two converted tries in the final minutes.
No8 Hudson was away at the All Blacks vs British & Irish Lions test last weekend during the Harvey Round Motors Ratana match, but his return means Kubunavanua can switch to the backline to join Seruwalu - opening up backline chances for the likes of Dawai, Villie Kuruyabaki and recent arrival Sheldon Pakinga-Manwhire.
Te Tua Kemp will need to be on with his goal-kicking, as he was in the win over Taihape.
Border coach Justin Lock is also pleased to finally be dealing with a full deck after the competition leaders' depth was tested with several injuries of their own mid-season.
Although young loose forward Chris Breur broke a rib in the win over a desperate Taihape last week, while original captain Fraser Middleton is already out for the season, the pack has been reinforced.
After long layoffs, flanker Kieran Hussey is clear to start on the bench, while prop Tietie Tuimauga - who scored two tries in the May 5 night game - got through 35 minutes last week and will extend his time tomorrow.
Lock has spoken to coaches who have made the trek up the winding valley - choosing to use mini vans instead of a bus - and knows Ngamatapouri are targetting this match.
"We always had a tough back end, so you want to be tested going into the semifinals.
"We sort of used all our squad all year. Used a rotation policy trying to get everybody on the same page for this part of the season.
"Our effort [last week] was as good an effort as I've seen this year."
In the other matches, Taihape will treat this weekend's Spriggens Park game with Marist as a final of its own, as with the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield on the line and the bye next week, they could lock away one piece of silverware for 2017 even if the semifinals are virtually out of reach.
The 1pm game is part of a Spriggens double header, as Black Bull Liquor Pirates will be fresh off the bye when they play Ratana, while the other town match will see McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu looking to rebound from the Marist hammering when they come to the Country Club to meet Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau.