Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham is treating Friday's Super Rugby showdown against the NSW Waratahs like a final as his team fight to retain control of the Australian conference.
The Canberra-based franchise are ahead by four points but a loss at GIO Stadium could see them relinquish the lead to the defending champions.
"Yeah, it's like a final," said Larkham on Thursday.
"I look at the competition after this game - we've got five games left - and it's going to be really difficult to maintain your position at the top of the Australian conference.
"If we win this weekend, we jump ahead by a number of points; if they win then they go ahead of us and it makes it really hard for us.
"So it's certainly at that stage where it's season-defining.
The Brumbies were out-muscled in attack and defence when they lost 28-13 to the Waratahs in Sydney almost six weeks ago.
They went on to drop two of their next three matches with several key players out injured.
Larkham conceded his men got caught up in the hype surrounding their last meeting and expects them to be a lot more clinical this time.
And unlike the build-up to that match, when club great Owen Finegan urged the Brumbies to "rip their hearts out", there's been no ex-player pep talks to stoke the rivalry.
"I think we fell into that trap last game against the Waratahs this year," Larkham said.
"This time around, we've certainly focused on our detail and the guys are in a really good frame of mind."
Both Larkham and skipper Stephen Moore were predicting a very physical contest, with the Brumbies well aware they have to match the Tahs in that capacity to have a hope.
"We know that's how they like to play the game and we've certainly tried to play a bit more like that in the last few weeks," Moore said.
"But it's going to be a step up tomorrow in that area of the game."
The captain said last week's win over the Highlanders was a confidence booster, as is the return of Wallabies Sam Carter and Ben Alexander to the starting line-up.
Lock Carter was given time off to mourn the loss of a childhood friend, while prop Alexander played off the bench.
However, they will again be without Wallabies halves Nic White and Matt Toomua through injury, though the influential White was close to playing and should return next week.
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