"He's been telling me to shut up for the past two years so he'll probably tell me to shut up again," Fardy grinned.

"It's a challenge for me and as a squad, it's a challenge we're looking forward to it."

Moore arrived back in the capital on Friday as the Brumbies enemy and will lead the Queensland Reds on to Canberra Stadium for a crucial Australian derby.

Moore, one of the most respected players in world rugby, captained the Brumbies in the 2015 and 2016 seasons before deciding to move back to Brisbane to finish his Super Rugby career.

The Wallabies skipper was elevated to the Reds captaincy when regular skipper James Slipper suffered a season-ending absence.

With Brumbies captain Sam Carter also missing the ACT-Queensland clash, Moore and Fardy will lock horns.

"Fards is a good mate of mine. He's always wanted to be captain so he gets that chance," Moore laughed.

"It will be a bit different playing against some players that I went through a fair bit with down here. But it's about this Reds group and putting in a performance we're proud of.

"It's a little bit different ... I was here for eight years and I'll enjoy it. It's always good to be back, we know it's going to be a tough game."

The Reds are struggling after five consecutive losses but the closeness of the Australian conference means they are just one bonus-point win away from leaping above the Brumbies.

It makes winning at Canberra Stadium doubly as important for both teams as they attempt to stay in the hunt for the Super Rugby title.

"The way the draw is, these Australian games are really important," Moore said.

"The thing about the Brumbies when I was here is that teams probably knew how we were going to play, but it's about how you stop it."

Moore will be a key figure in the Reds revival after a slow start much like he was in rebuilding the Brumbies in his eight-year stint in the capital.

Moore was instrumental in helping the Brumbies transform from a rabble in 2011 to Super Rugby grand finalists in 2013.

"[Moore] sets his own standards and expects guys to follow him," Fardy said.

"He's a hard leader and his performances have shown what he does off the field and carries himself, he's been a great Australian rugby performer.

"I'm stoked to get an opportunity to captain such a great club and lead a great bunch of guys."

The Brumbies have continued their rotation policy, leaving regular captain Sam Carter out of the team to play the Reds to give him extra time to recovery from a rib injury.

Former Reds winger Tom Banks, lock Rory Arnold and prop Scott Sio have all been injected into the Brumbies' starting XV.

The Reds have axed duo Nick Frisby and Andrew Ready with coach Nick Stiles drawing a line in the sand for his team's performance and attitude towards preparation.

Fardy benefited earlier this year from Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham's rotation policy, and the Wallabies veteran said it was part of the ACT club's bid to be "smarter" about chasing a title.

"If you don't learn, what are you here for? We need guys playing a lot of minutes, but also managing that to make sure they're fresh," Fardy said.

"Not only that, we need the whole squad to be a part of it so that when we come to the last few rounds, we've got experience through the group."

SUPER RUGBY ROUND SEVEN

Saturday: ACT Brumbies v Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium, 7.40pm. Tickets available for $20 if purchased before 6pm. Curtain-raiser: Brumbies legends v Reds Barbarians at 6pm.

Brumbies team: 15. Aidan Toua, 14. Henry Speight, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 12. Kyle Godwin, 11. Tom Banks, 10. Wharenui Hawera, 9. Joe Powell, 8. Jordan Smiler, 7. Chris Alcock, 6. Scott Fardy, 5. Rory Arnold, 4. Blake Enever, 3. Allan Alaalatoa, 2. Robbie Abel, 1. Scott Sio. Reserves: 16. Saia Faingaa, 17. Nic Mayhew, 18. Ben Alexander, 19. Tom Staniforth, 20. Jarrad Butler, 21. De Wet Roos, 22. Andrew Smith, 23. James Dargaville.

Reds team: 15. Lachlan Maranta, 14. Chris Kuridrani, 13. Samu Kerevi, 12. Duncan Paia'aua, 11. Eto Nabuli, 10. Jake McIntyre, 9. James Tuttle, 8. Scott Higginbotham, 7. George Smith, 6. Adam Korczyk, 5. Kane Douglas, 4. Rob Simmons, 3. Sam Talakai, 2. Stephen Moore, 1. Sef Fa'agase. Reserves: 16. Alex Mafi, 17. Kirwan Sanday, 18. Taniela Tupou, 19. Izack Rodda, 20. Hendrik Tui, 21. Moses Sorovi, 22. Hamish Stewart, 23. Izaia Perese.