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The ACT Brumbies are set to recall hooker Josh Mann-Rea for a daunting trip to New Zealand, but the players are adamant their confidence won't be rattled by a Kiwi hoodoo.
Mann-Rea's earlier-than-expected return from a knee injury will bolster the Brumbies as they attempt to break through for their first win across the Tasman in more than three years.
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham is expected to tinker with his line-up again to inject fresh faces after the team failed to fire against the Melbourne Rebels last weekend.
Mann-Rea, 36, was in danger of missing more than two months after having minor knee surgery. But the veteran has made a rapid recovery to stabilise the Brumbies' set piece.
The Brumbies play against the Wellington Hurricanes in Napier on Friday night and need to win to keep their buffer at the top of the Australian conference.
The Brumbies were the last Australian side to topple the defending champion Hurricanes, but that result was in round one last year.
But Brumbies flanker Scott Fardy isn't buying into the perceived hoodoo against New Zealand teams despite Australian sides winning just three of the past 38 trans-Tasman battles.
"[The Hurricanes] are the current champions and a huge task for us," said Brumbies flanker Scott Fardy.
"Obviously they are a quality opposition, you look at them and judge them. But I think you've got to look at yourself first.
"Worrying too much about the opposition, you're not going to do that. Every game is an opposition to change the perception [against New Zealand teams], but they deserve the write ups their getting because they've been dominant.
"To beat them, you've got to play well yourself. To over-think the opposition, you don't want to wait for them."
The Brumbies' stumble against the Rebels last weekend has opened up the Australian conference race.
The Brumbies have a seven-point lead at the top of the table but need to beat the Hurricanes to fend off the challengers for the guaranteed finals berth.
"We've been in matches for 60 or 70 minutes, then one slight lapse of concentration and we drop our heads," said Brumbies captain Sam Carter.
"That's something we definitely have to rectify and make sure in those key moments, we can get ahead.
"We can't have any excuses. Our set piece was a little bit off [last week] ... that's something we pride ourselves on and not being able to execute that really hurt us."
There was plenty of hype about the Brumbies' newfound attacking prowess two weeks ago, but Fardy said they were guilty of being stuck on their heels against the Rebels.
He says that must change against a dangerous Hurricanes side, imploring the club's young stars to take risks and be adventurous with their decisions.
"To go well in the competition over a number of years, it's been proven that you have to play expansive rugby," Fardy said.
"We're developing. You've got to give guys confidence and I know myself, I've always played in a very structured environment.
"The guys coming through now have to learn a different way of playing and enjoy the unstructured element of the game.
"I've learnt more this year than I have in other years. I'm enjoying what the young guys want to do and backing what they want to do."
JUNIOR BRUMBIES EARN AUSTRALIAN CALL UP
Five junior Brumbies have been picked to play for Australia in the under-20s Oceania championships on the Gold Coast later this month.
Coach Simon Cron will throw Nick Jooste, Darcy Swain, Angus Allen, Ryan Lonergan and Len Ikitau into his squad for games against Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand.
It's a nod to the Brumbies' development program at a time when scrutiny is being put on Super Rugby pathways at all of the franchises.
The Oceania tournament will be a perfect opportunity for players to press their claims for junior World Cup selection ahead of the tournament in June.
Cron said: "We had a very short national camp last week and have coached some of the basic areas we need to do well to be successful.
"As a squad we had a chance to work on some cohesiveness in our ball skills and talk about key fundamentals around which we will base our attack and defensive systems."
SUPER RUGBY ROUND NINE
Australian under-20s squad: Harry Johnson-Holmes, Harry Chapman, Vaauli Faamausili, Dan Matthew, Tom Horton, Efi Maafu, Sama Malolo, Harry Hockings, Angus Blyth, Ryan McCauley, Darcy Swain, Lachlan Swinton, Angus Scott-Young, Reece Hewat, Liam Wright, Angus Allen, Harry Nucifora, Ryan Lonergan, Theo Strang, Hamish Stewart , Jack McGregor, Tony Hunt, Nick Jooste, Dylan Riley, Len Ikitau, James Ramm, Jayden Ngamanu, Semisi Tupou, Jack Maddocks.
