The Wombats failure to beat the ‘Roos last week cost them fourth place and a home semi final, but know  that if they play the rugby that has served them so well all year, they can advance to the second week of the finals.

Coach Dave Goldring said his side have had an excellent preparation leading into Saturday’s match.

“We’ve had three training sessions this week, it’s getting serious because it’s do-or-die now,” he said.

“We’ve got a few players out but we’re still very strong and we’ll have a full bench.”

After having a good look at the strengths and weaknesses of their Dubbo opponents last weekend, the Wombats have been working on a few things that will hopefully turn their fortunes around.

“We need to be able to counter attack their game whilst still playing our own,” Goldring said.

“It’s about playing that good solid footy that we know we’re capable of.”

There’s no doubt that the big Kangaroos pack got the better of the Wombats last weekend in a physical battle up front, something Mudgee will have the chance to address come Sunday.

“We certainly have a few boys who love the physicality and are looking forward to that battle up front,” he said.

“The boys have got the pig in the belly and they’re ready to go.”

Goldring also said that the side took confidence out of the fact that they didn’t have one of their best performances last weekend, but still managed to get within seven points of a very well-drilled Kangaroos side.

“We discussed on the weekend that if we didn’t drop six or seven of those balls, I’m fairly confident two or three of them would have resulted in a try,” he said.

“It’s all about mentality, at the end of the day the boys aren’t robots, they’re only human.

“It’s about getting in that right frame of mind with each other, working as a unit and therefore acting as a team and not a bunch of individuals.”

The Wombats may have to adjust on the fly this weekend, with Dubbo also likely to adapt their game plan after identifying Mudgee’s strengths and weaknesses at Jubilee Oval.

Goldring said this weekend’s clash is sure to be an entertaining one, conceding that both teams have the ability to advance.

“They know how we play so they will make counter-measures to prepare for our game and we will do the same,” he said.

“Basically it’s going to end up a really good contest of wills.

“We both have to talent to get through to the next round and I believe it will come down to who wants it more.

“We want to get back to firing on all cylinders and show everyone that we deserve to be there.

“We don’t mind being the underdog, we just want to go out there and prove that we’re the better team.”