The Brumbies will have a chance to avenge their defeat in the Super Rugby Final last year when they face defending champions Chiefs next week.
Under the stewardship of current Sharks coach Jake White, the Brumbies went down in Hamilton to fall short of claiming their third Super Rugby title last year.
Now under the guidance of former Wallabies flyhalf and Brumbies legend Stephen Larkham, the Canberra side comes into the match with a fair maount of confidence given their convincing win over the Force in the last round.
Ben Mowen will become the Brumbies’ most-capped skipper in what might also be his final game for the franchise given that he is heading to France to play for Montpellier.
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The Brumbies took the spoils 41-23 when the teams met earlier in the season and Mowen said that they are keen to continue that dominance and get some revenge for what happened in the final in Hamilton last year.
“Massively,” he said. “There’s a great rivalry between the two sides and us having lost the final to them last season – we want to make sure we’re there at the end and we want to put one over them on the way through.”
“The great thing about knockout footy is who’s going to be `on’ on the day and to come up against a side like that, I’m sure will bring out the best in the boys.”
Although the Chiefs are the two-time defending champions, the Brumbies enter the qualifying final with superior form following the return of fit-again stars Matt Toomua, Sam Carter, Tevita Kuridrani and Joe Tomane.
It was the extra pace and skill which most impressed in their seven-try win over the Force and it’s an attacking style they aim to continue through the finals.
Mowen stressed the Brumbies wouldn’t go into their shell and promised to show the extra dimensions to a game that was highly structured and reliant on kicking under White.
“To have an all-Wallaby backline fit and firing is outstanding and that’s a big strength of our’s,” he said.
“We know how to play the tight games, that’s been a massive strength for this group in the last couple of years.”
“But if we can add that little bit extra skill on the end of it there’s going to be a lot more opportunities for tries.”