The breakneck speed of Super Rugby AUS has offered up a myriad of challenges for the Super Rugby sides, with the second round set to play a major factor in who competes for the inaugural title.
The Brumbies will come to Perth needing to grab a win, falling 36-26 to the Reds and being denied a crucial bonus point in the closing stages.
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“I thought it was a good spectacle. I think the crowd certainly got their money's worth,” coach Larkham told reporters following the second round team announcements.
“I think they [the Reds] walked away happy and it makes it hard for us now.”
Despite the four week competition already nearing its halfway mark, Larkham admitted the time spent with academy and fringe players has proven highly beneficial in terms of preparation for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
“It's a combination of setting us up for next year in terms of Super Rugby,” the head coach added. “We've got some contract players who played their first game in a competition for the Brumbies. We've got some club players that have come in as well and we want to see how they transfer from club rugby into that next level.
“If you just look at the back end of the game, we had an opportunity there with probably our strongest team out on the field to take a win. After everything that happened in the game, we had the opportunity there with the lineout to take a win and we didn't ice that situation.
“There's good learnings for those guys who are on the field in that situation. It would have been great to have a trial game coming into this competition because we probably would have ironed some things like that out.
“We've learned a fair bit out of that for these young guys and hopefully we turn it around this week. It's tight turnarounds and it's a good challenge for us on the back of not getting the result in the first round.”
The Brumbies will take the field against a Force side that blew the Waratahs away in the second half at Pittwater Rugby Park, their 24-3 win being reinforced with only two injury-enforced changes - one being Kurtley Beale into the starting side.
The Brumbies will only have a six day turnaround for the match at Tompkin’s Park, and will arrive late on Friday ahead of the clash on Saturday.
However, Larkham is opting to embrace the challenges, with full time contracts up for grabs and positions looking to be filled, such as Tom Wright, who is expected to be out until May next year.
“They [Western Force] looked very dangerous, actually,” Larkham added.
“Their attack was quite good. Some young players that have come into the squad for the first time put their hand up.
“I'm quite impressed by their performance. That's all part of the challenge now. It's not just a six-day turnaround, but it's a good opponent that we're coming up against now.
“We've got some injury contracts that we've got to put in place.
“One in the front row, Tom Wright, with his injury out until May. We need to bring someone in to cover that position. Then we've got two full contracts still available.
“We wanted to get [that] through this competition. We wanted to see if there was talent within our network that can step up and take one of those spots.
“Or potentially there's someone in Super Rugby AUS who is really standing out and putting his hand up for one of those contracts.”
Larkham is also bolstered by the Brumbies sides in the U19s and U16s competitions, with the senior coach casting his eye over those teams too to complete his squad.
Combined with a desire to lean even harder on the John I Dent Cup competition, Larkham hopes to bring more players from the local area into the set up.
“Tomorrow we've got 34 players training with us,” the head coach added.
“Half of those players have come out of the 19s program over the last two years. We see it as a pathway. The John I Dent competition, we want to see that as a pathway for players.
"The U19s tournament is a pathway into Super Rugby and the Wallabies down the track. We've got a number of players who have played over the last two years in that under-19s who are training with us at the moment.”
FORCE (1-15): Marley Pearce, Albert Alcock, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Mitch Watts, Darcy Swain (c), Will Harris, Kane Koteka, Vaiolini Ekuasi; Henry Robertson, Max Burey, Viliami Fine, Kurtley Beale, George Poolman, Justin Landman, Mac Grealy
Replacements: Wes Thomas, Max Sawers, Sean Paranihi, Max Johnson, Titi Nofoagatotoa, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Henry Palmer, Ronan Leahy
BRUMBIES (1-15): Lington Ieli , Liam Bowron, Tevita Alatini, Lachlan Shaw, Harvey Cordukes, Toby MacPherson, Luke Reimer (c), Rory Scott, Klayton Thorn, Declan Meredith, Ollie Sapsford, David Feliuai, Hudson Creighton, Kadin Pritchard, Shane Wilcox
Replacements: Lipina Ata, Tauati Chan-Tung, Rhys van Nek, Tuaina Taii Tualima, Judah Saumaisue, Dan Nelson, Joe Dillon, Jarrah McLeod
