Brumbies captain Sam Carter says there’ll be no second-guessing in his side on Friday night, after two tight losses in a row.
The Brumbies had chances late in their 27-22 loss to the Sharks to clinch the game with some close-range lineouts but were unable to cross the line.
Carter said he had no regrets over those decisions, but admitted he was still learning after three games as on-field captain.
“We back every decision we do,” he said.
“In hindsight, it's easy to say you can go for the points and kick the goal and win the game, it's easy.
“If we had just executed a lineout and scored off that we would've won the game as well.
“We're building a culture down here where there is no bad decisions, we're going to back everything we do and that's just part of who we are.”
The leadership responsibilities will be more acute on Friday night without veteran Scott Fardy, who was left out of the 23 for the Force clash.
Carter said he was taken aback by Fardy’s omission but backed second-gamer Ben Hynes to step up.
“A little bit (surprised) but that's Bernie and the coaches' decision,” he said.
“He's been good the first two matches but also Benny Hynes deserves his opportunity as well.
“He's been playing fantastically for the Runners and he's been training really well all preseason so I've got full confidence he can go out there and put a good performance out there.”
Carter said the move sent a message to the rest of the team, as competition for spots grows.
“That's the kind of culture we want to instil down here, that everyone's fighting for a position, even if you're not in the 23 game day squad, you're still fighting to get in that team,” he said.
“If we have all the reserves and all the people not in the team pushing us, it'll just make us better and it'll make them better eventually.”
The Brumbies are expecting a different kind of challenge against the Force, more than the ‘one-dimensional’ breakdown side of old, fullback Aidan Toua said.
“They've got some pretty exciting additions in Curtis Rona and Chance Peni and Billy Meakes,” he said.
“They've added a bit of size and a bit of pace. They won't be as one-dimensional as they probably have been.
“They're looking to throw the ball around a bit. So our backline's up for the challenge.”
As for their own backline, Toua said there was plenty of improvement to come.
“We haven't really got into the attacking shape that we've been training all preseason.
“And that's just again guys just being out of position and we've got to get the big Tevita (Kuridrani) into the game earlier, get us over the ad line and then it’s about going forward to then create the space out wide."
The Brumbies host the Force at Canberra Stadium on Friday night, kicking off at 7:45pm AEDT, LIVE on FOX SPORTS and via radio on RUGBY.com.au.
