The Brumbies will be wary of a red-hot Hurricanes side that is set to arrive in Canberra for the last qualifying final, but Ryan Lonergan believes implementing key learnings from the Crusaders' loss will be critical for success against the men from Wellington.
The Brumbies will be keeping a close watch on the other fixtures, as results in Hamilton and Christchurch will also play a factor in how far the Brumbies progress.
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But, speaking with Rugby.com.au, Lonergan was candid about where the side was sitting and what they can control this coming Saturday.
"We're disappointed," Lonergan admitted, when asked about the Crusaders.
"We're disappointed in the way that we played in that first half particularly. We reviewed it, a few little fixes there.
"Now we're just prepping for the Hurricanes, which is going to look like a similar week to last week, really. They've got some real power around the field, just like the Crusaders have, so yeah, rinse and repeat almost. It kind of feels a bit like that."
One aspect that has emerged over the last fortnight was the management of training for the Brumbies - with Lonergan confirming that the match for the players begins the moment they hit the training field.
"We usually have a good, solid week of training. We've upped the training a little bit [this week]," Lonergan said.
"Naturally, just with a qualifying final, the training kind of lifts. As cliché as it is, we've got to train well to play well.
"That first phase defence is the important to get us on the front foot, and give us time to be able to get around the corner and set our defence.
"We know that they've got a lot of power players, and if we let them get a roll on with their attack, they're quite hard to stop.
"Our movement's got to be quick. We've got to be willing to work hard throughout all our defensive sets so that we can then give ourselves a chance.
"We know we're a good attacking team, our attack will sort itself out. It's just going to be about being able to control them, and I think that comes through our speed and then pressure in that breakdown."
Lonergan has been at the coal face of the Brumbies' backline all season - being well supported by Harrison Goddard and Klayton Thorn.
The side has had to undergo several challenges to maintain consistency across the season - which has tested the versatility of their systems.
Noah Lolesio and Jack Debreczeni have both suffered stints on the sidelines, with a HIA scare to their last flyhalf Declan Meredith against the Reds even seeing Andy Muirhead slot in for a brief period.
Lonergan, reiterating the strength of the Brumbies attack, conceded that the success despite these challenges has come more from the system built in camp, rather than from any player.
"We've got a great system and people understand how we want to play," explained Lonergan.
"If we lose a guy, someone else comes in who's been repping our system for at least a whole year.
As game drivers, [we] drive what we know works in our game, and the guys that have had to come in due to injury or selection have done a really good job at doing that.
"I feel like the continuity has been quite solid this year, and then when someone has had to come in and fill a spot, they've done a good job at it."
While continuity has been a major success for the Brumbies, fans will likely come into this match with trepidation - and not just because of the form of the Hurricanes.
With their loss to the Crusaders, the Brumbies missed out on an opportunity for a top two finish - and a potential home semi final.
While a home semi-final could be reclaimed, pending a win this weekend and other results falling in their favour, there is also a chance the Brumbies could be heading to New Zealand for their fourth consecutive semi-final next week.
However, Lonergan has admitted that with those failings has come many learnings - and with that, the chance to overcome those failings and go further towards that seemingly elusive final.
"I think everyone benefits from that experience of the last couple of years," Lonergan admitted candidly.
"Not quite getting there, it just hurts. Everyone's got that hurt from those couple of years, and then the ability to be able to perform in the big moments. The finals come down to big moments.
"I think with the team and the experience we've got here, everyone believes that we're good enough to win those moments to be able to go further this year."
