CENTURION (South Africa) - While he gives his Northerns charges a week off after a tough, if not entirely fruitless A Section series, coach Peter Kirsten is planning the next steps of the summer campaign in a bid to win the knock out trophy.

Still hiding his disappointment at how Northerns were squeezed out of the SuperSport Series final to finish third on the log for the second successive season, Kirsten hinted that his plans for the Standard Bank Cup would be based on an intensive preparation programme.

Although pleased that Northerns have a home quarter-final, against either Free State or North West on March 19 who meet at Fochville next Wednesday, the remainder of the draw could see Northerns playing their semi-final and the final away from home.

``It is especially nice to get a home game for the first of the three games, the other two are going to be a far tougher proposition,'' he confirmed. Northerns play either Border or Eastern Province away and as they are in the bottom half of the draw are certain to play away when it comes to the final. Which is a bit tough on a side which won the League Trophy.

Kirsten brushed the draw aside by suggesting that Northerns had the players and the ability to contest and win the final.

``The players have shown it by the way the side has played in the four day game and the way they won the last five games,'' he said.

``At this stage the idea is to prepare for each game as we did when we had the crucial weekend matches against Gauteng at the Wanderers and Griqualand West at Centurion, which was the weekend when they won the League Trophy,'' he added.

``I think that a week off will see them back far stronger mentally for the remaining games of the season,'' Kirsten agreed. ``We have a trophy to win and we know we can add it to the one we won earlier.''

By that stage Rudolf Steyn should be back and a decision whether Quentin Still is ready to play the short-form of the game should be known.