Brumbies skipper Allan Alaalatoa is out for redemption as he returns from a three-match ban.
Alaalatoa was sent from the field in Round Three after making contact with the head of Rebels prop Pone Fa'amausili.
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“I was pretty gutted,” Alaalatoa told reporters.
“The feeling that I had on the bench when I came off was of disappointment and I think it was mainly around watching the boys working hard for each other.
"Some of the body language, you could tell they were cooked because we only had 14.
“We then lost another one late in the second half and I took that to heart because you knew that the reason they were working hard was because of my discipline.
Whilst the Brumbies were able to escape with a win thanks to a monster penalty from Ryan Lonergan, they were unable to repeat this against the Reds the following round, falling in the final minute.
During the match, props Tom Ross and Scott Sio were forced from the field during the two-point loss with injuries.
This was tough to watch for Alaalatoa, however, he praised the work and commitment of his side during his absence.
“It was a tough pill to swallow," he added.
"The hardest thing was watching the game because you’re doing everything with the boys, preparing them best you can and you’re fully fit and training. The only thing you’re not doing is playing.
“Those three games were probably the hardest…You’ve got to be really proud of some of the boys efforts in the last few games.”
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As Alaalatoa prepares to return, he believes that the Brumbies can take plenty of confidence out of the fight shown in that loss along with their gritty win over the Waratahs.
“That was definitely something we took confidence from,” he believes.
“We had our backs against the walls. We had a few injuries, myself on suspension but I think we’ve come a long way since then.
“Last week, we took a lot of learnings from that game. The Tahs gave it to us and probably tested us in areas where we weren’t tested before.
“It’s been a good week, the boys have prepared well and are looking forward to the opportunity tomorrow to go out at Suncorp and take on a team who is in fine form at the moment.”
It’s going to be a top of the table clash when the Reds take on the Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night, kicking off at 7.45pm AEDT, catch all the action LIVE on Stan Sports and simulcast on 9Gem, click here to purchase tickets.
