With the identity of invading opponent finally unveiled, what does a leader do in the first blush of knowing?

Dive into the playbook to begin formulating strategy, perhaps?

Call to arms his trusted lieutenants in the dark of night to begin pouring over game film in order to pinpoint tendencies, root out deficiencies, maybe?

Well, he could.

Or he could just head out in the car to pick up Chinese take-away with daughter Avery, spaniel/border-collie cross Harley in tow.

“We just finished watching the game and didn’t feel like cooking,’’ explained Calgary Stampeders’ head coach Dave Dickenson.

A week of waiting, wondering, is over.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers now represent the roadblock to a third consecutive Grey Cup appearance.

“Honestly, they’ve been kinda gearing up,’’ reckoned Dickenson of the Big Blue’s 23-18 West semi-final slapdown of the homestanding Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday afternoon. “To me they’re a very deep team, a very talented team.

“I think they’re very balanced, too. Whereas I felt like Sask was riding their special teams and their D – except against us, of course (referencing a Week 19 29-21 Rider victory in which the guys in green rolled up 492 in total offence).

“I knew Sask was going to bring pressure. I knew they wouldn’t just sit back and wait; they’d try to press the issue, try to force turnovers and create field position.

“But Winnipeg just wouldn’t give it up.

“Sask still made some plays but they didn’t create the turnovers they were looking for.”

Job 1, of course, will be to slap the cuffs on tailback Andrew Harris, the league’s leading rusher.

Harris with a head of steam resembles a thundering express train emerging from a dark tunnel, a locomotive imbued with, on its day, as much magic as the Hogwart’s Express.

Harris literally left the Rider defence in tatters in the windswept polar chill of Mosaic Field on Sunday, reeling off 153 yards along terra firma.

“They have three all-stars on their offensive line,’’ reminds Dickenson. “They run a lot of misdirection. They can do different things, too, because (Nic) Demski is basically a tailback out of high school and college, (Weston) Dressler does a good job on receiver sweeps and counters and they plug (No 2 QB Chris) Streveler in there because he can run so well.

“So you can’t just key on Andrew.

“We’ll see how it plays out. But we’ve done a pretty job on him the first two games, I think.”

Everything offensively for the Bombers will run through No. 33.

On the key drive Sunday in Regina, Harris accounted for all 53 yards, recovering his own fumble in the Rider end zone to push Winnipeg’s advantage to nine points, 23-12.

Then, after Saskatchewan had sliced the lead to five on its first major of the game, he and Streveler – the pinch-hitting to starter Matt Nichols – reeled off five consecutive totes that produced two crucial first downs and wound down the time remaining.

“That, at the end of the game, is something all of us want,’’ praised Dickenson. “It was huge, those first downs to get the clock where they wanted.

“I am a little surprised at how much Streveler was used in key situations but that just shows how much confidence they have in the kid.”

To locate the last time the Bombers and Stamps collided in a West final, or a playoff game of any sort at McMahon Stadium, you need scroll back, way back, to Nov. 20, 1965 and the third instalment of a best-of-three format.

Kenny Ploen vs. Eagle Day in the QBing battle. Bud Grant vs. Jerry Williams on the respective head-coaching headsets.

A game of the Lincoln Locomotives (Leo Lewis) and Thumpers (Wayne Harris), Mad Dogs (Paul Robson) and

The Bombers prevailed that afternoon, 19-12, to book passage to Toronto, to Exhibition Stadium, and a Grey Cup tete-a-tete against Hamilton.

Fifty-three years later, Dickenson and the circa 2018 edition look to turn the tables.

“From here to the end, everything is condensed, focused,’’ said the Stampeder boss. “This is an opportunity to beat Winnipeg and get to the Grey Cup. That’s as simple as it gets.

“We think both teams are excellent. We’re probably being as honest as we’ve ever been in regards to that.

“We’ve played both Sask and Winnipeg recently, so I don’t think there’ll be a lot of … I don’t know … trick-‘em kind of stuff.

“Just more line up and see who’s the better team, who’s going to out-execute who, who’s going to protect the ball, who’s going to win those 1-on-1 battles that always make the difference.

“You know for a fact that your season will not be any longer than two weeks. It’s exciting for all of us. There’s a great opportunity. That’s how you’ve got to look at this.

“It’s right there in front of you.”