The Hurricanes have declared Australia's dismal trans-Tasman Super Rugby record irrelevant as they prepare to face the Brumbies in a knockout quarter-final.
The Wellington-based team touched down in Canberra on Tuesday ahead of Friday night's do-or-die clash at GIO Stadium.
While the Brumbies sealed the Australian conference before the June Test break, they finished three competition points behind New Zealand's lowest-ranked team, the Blues.
Their status as the best Australian team won them the right to host a quarter-final against the Hurricanes, who doubled the Brumbies' record of six wins.
Of course, none of those victories included any against New Zealand opposition who handed Australian teams a 25-0 whitewash for the season.
But Hurricanes fullback Nehe Milner-Skudder echoed the Brumbies' desire to ignore that record.
"I'm a pretty competitive person and to get a win is always nice, especially against our trans-Tasman rivals it makes it even sweeter," Milner-Skudder said.
"We know this week that all counts for nothing. If we lose, we're going home."
The Hurricanes were the last New Zealand team the Brumbies beat, dominating them 52-10 in Canberra in round one last year.
Their last win in Canberra was in 2010, but the Hurricanes second-half domination when the two sides met in Hamilton earlier in the season was an example of their attacking power.
"We know from coming over here last year we got touched up pretty well, so I guess we're kind of using that as a motivator," Milner-Skudder said.
"We've got some pretty lethal players in our team, when they get their hands on the ball they do some damage.
He expects the Brumbies to try to slow the tempo of the match and dominate possession.
"I think they'll try to hang on to the pill themselves and build that pressure," Milner-Skudder said.
