Maintaining discipline will be key to the Brumbies' chances of opening their Super Rugby account in a potentially bruising encounter with the Sharks, according to back-rower Jordan Smiler.
The Brumbies are keen to improve on their 17-13 loss to the Crusaders in their round one fixture, which despite the result provided fans with plenty of hope for the season ahead.
Smiler knows what to expect from the the Durban-based outfit which lost by two points to the Reds in their season opener in Brisbane last week.
"They're always very physical - that's standard for a South African team," Smiler said.
"We saw a bit of their forward pack on Tuesday morning in our preview.
"They've got a really strong maul. We've seen that they like to maul and create a bit of pressure and create penalties."
Giving Sharks playmaker Pat Lambie the chance to hurt them in front of goal could be fatal for the Brumbies and Smiler knows it.
"(He) is a great kicker from anywhere," he said.
"We can't give away too many penalties in our own half because they'll take three, six, nine points every time.
"We'll look to try and take that away from him, not to give away too many penalties in our own half and play some smart rugby."
With Scott Sio expected to miss another game due to a hamstring injury, New Zealand-born prop Nic Mayhew is set to retain his place after a strong showing in round one.
The Brumbies were competitive in the scrum against the Crusaders and their pack faces another test with the Sharks.
"We've just got to make sure we front up there and put our best foot forward," Mayhew said.
"It's probably quite nice getting them early on while the body's quite fresh but we know what to expect."
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