The ACT Brumbies need to win against the Western Force at Canberra Stadium to ensure they make the Super Rugby finals. But they'll need to overcome an appalling last-round record to do it - they haven't won in the final round of the home-and-away season since 2007. The Brumbies also need to knock off a Force side desperate to make the Super Rugby finals for the first time in the province's history.
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A quick look at the head-to-head statistics between the Brumbies and the Force:
Played 12; Brumbies 7, Force 4, drawn 1
In Canberra: Played 5; Brumbies 3, Force 2
Last Played: Round 3, 2014 - Force 27-14, nib Stadium, Perth
The finals scenario is the same for both these Aussie sides locked on 40 points: win and they’re through; lose and they’ll only stay afloat by picking up a bonus point and having the Blues beat the Chiefs. Wallabies Matt Toomua and Sam Carter are back for the Brumbies after their last-start loss to the Waratahs - not to mention third-string hooker Josh Mann-Rea. The Force have lost powerful flanker Hugh McMeniman to a one-week suspension for kneeing. In the visitors’ favour is the fact the Brumbies haven’t won a last-round match since 2007, with the Force beating them last year and in 2008.
Ian Prior and Zack Holmes will team up as the Force's halves combination when they return to Canberra Stadium for the first time since leaving the Brumbies at the end of last year.
Holmes stepped up as the Brumbies' five-eighth in 2012 when Matt Toomua and Christian Leali'ifano suffered season-ending injuries, almost leading the club into the Super Rugby finals.
Mowen's Australian rugby career will end when the Brumbies are knocked out of the championship race, and that could be as early as Friday night.
The Brumbies need to beat the Western Force at Canberra Stadium to stay in title contention and keep their hopes of grand final redemption alive.
Chris Dutton has the story.
But while the Brumbies have not won a last-round fixture since Gregan, Larkham and Jeremy Paul's farewell game in 2007, Wallabies great Gregan is adamant the club is the sleeping giant of the Super Rugby title race.
The Brumbies will attempt to end six years of last-game misery when they play the Western Force at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.
Chris Dutton has the story.
Both teams as named, with the Brumbies welcoming back a raft of stars from injury - Carter, Toomua, Tomane and McCabe. It's a beautiful (but cold) night for rugby! To give you a hint of the temperature, Brumbies director of rugby Laurie Fisher is wearing shoes and socks, that's how cold it is! But not cold enough to stop him from wearing shorts... #canberrabornandbred
Good Luck to the @BrumbiesRugby tonight. Cheering them on from my warm lounge. #BRUvFOR — Terry Campese (@terrycampese6) July 11, 2014
Not long before the players run out now! It could be a farewell game for a host of players - Brumbies captain Ben Mowen, who will wow France with his Biggles-esque moustache, the Honey Badger, who will be sweating like a gypsy with a mortgage, and Clyde Rathbone, who will retire at the end of the season. Congrats to Nic White, leading out the Brumbies in his 50th game!
Bit it's wide! Apologies for the New Zealand accent there. For those interested, Chiefs beat the Blues, which means the loser of this game can no longer make the finals. Ups the stakes nicely...
I've got the honour of sitting next to Brumbies Boy tonight! He's in the media box as a guest of the Brumbies. Check him out on Twitter @BrumbiesBoy...
12: Bang! Anyone who just heard a loud crash, it was Toomua putting a great shot on former teammate Zack Holmes...
13: Biggest cheer of the night from this small crowd for Force kicker Jayden Hayward as he misses the penalty kicker. Since it was after the kick it doesn't contravene the "Respect the kicker" campaign...
15: Lealiifano gets on the board! He nails a penalty and gets what is now the biggest cheer of the night. There could be bursting eardrums if this cheer-off continues...Brumbies 8-0.
7 minutes: And the mere mention of Brumbies Boy has inspired the Brumbies to score the first try of the game, Matty Toomua back in the side and dives over the stripe out wide after he'd taken a beautiful tap from a penalty to put the Force under enormous pressure. Lealiifano continues his kicking woes and misses the conversion. Brumbies 5-0.
Toomua. Start it with a quick tap on the 40m. Finish it with a try in the far corner. That's impressive. #BRUvFOR — David Pocock (@pocockdavid) July 11, 2014
The Force get proceedings under way and are instantly on the attack...but the Brumbies pinch it at the breakdown and Sam Carter drives about 30m up the middle. Penalty! White will look to get his first points of his 50th, on a slight angle just inside 50m...
17: It's a kick-off! Our South African readers will be loving this exchange of penalty attempts. If only we could have a drop goal as well! Hayward not so wayward this time and the Force have their first points of the night. Brumbies 8-3.
23: If it wasn't too close to take your gloves off this would now be a nailbiter! Wayward Hayward nails another penalty and it's Brumbies 8-6.
24: The penalty-off continues and Lealiifano slots another. Brumbies 11-6.
