David Pocock appears to have finally shaken his injury curse and relaunched his career for the Brumbies. The former Wallabies skipper was outstanding in the 16-14 loss to the Auckland Blues on Friday night, forcing at least five breakdown turnovers and almost single-handedly lifting the Brumbies to an unlikely win. Pocock's presence over the ball has been lacking from Australian rugby in his injury-forced absence. His Wallabies replacement, Michael Hooper, is certainly a strong talent. But Pocock's ability to pinch the ball is unrivalled and will definitely be a factor at the World Cup later this year. Test coach Michael Cheika faces a huge task to pick who gets the No. 7 jersey. The clash against the Blues was Pocock's first game for the Brumbies outside of Australia and his first trip to Eden Park since July 2007. Unfortunately, he has never won at the Auckland venue.

THE INJURY WARD

How quickly the rugby Gods can change their minds. The Brumbies went through the first six weeks of the season without having to change their back line. Now they're facing a growing injury toll which will hit their season. Matt Toomua (ankle), James Dargaville (foot) and Scott Sio (knee) are all set for long stints on the sideline. Dargaville could have broken his foot, but bravely played on to try to lift the Brumbies to victory. Toomua left on crutches while Sio is in a knee brace. They join Tevita Kuridrani (shoulder), Jesse Mogg (shoulder) and Fotu Auelua in the injury ward. When those players are able to return will have a huge influence on the Brumbies' hopes.

CAN THE BRUMBIES GET BACK ON TRACK?

The Brumbies have lost all the momentum they gained in the first six weeks of the season. They had the bye after a loss to the NSW Waratahs and have been scrappy in their two games since. They beat the Free State Cheetahs 20-3 before stumbling against the Blues in Auckland. There's little doubt they have the talent, but now it's a mental challenge to see if they can get their season back on track. They play the next three games in Canberra before a two-game tour of South Africa. They will be intent on winning all of those games, including a clash against the Waratahs on May 1, to stay at the top of the Australian conference. The Brumbies are still at the top, but for how long remains to be seen.

REFEREE CULTURE DIFFERENT DESPITE LOPSIDED PENALTIES

There's a culture of referee bashing in the NRL, but Super Rugby takes a different approach when it comes to the whistleblowers. The Brumbies had cause to be aggrieved by the way Andrew Lees officiated in the first half on Friday night. They were blown out of the game with a 7-1 penalty count against them. Players and coaches were privately frustrated and coach Stephen Larkham conceded "some were fair, some were unfair". The criticism in the NRL is on a different level, despite coaches being banned from commenting on decisions this year. But either way, they have to be held accountable. Lees missed a clear offside from Blues skipper Jerome Kaino when he crunched Nic White close to the line, forcing the ball loose and leading to the Blues' first try. The penalty count levelled out at 9-9 at the end of the game. But where was the consistency? Were the Brumbies wearing devil hats in the first half and saints after the break? The Brumbies had ample chances to win the game regardless and referee decisions are no excuse. But they don't help either.

NEW ZEALAND CURSE

Winning on the road is crucial to hopes of winning the Super Rugby title. The Brumbies broke a long losing streak away from home when they beat the Melbourne Rebels this year. But they have lost their two games in New Zealand. Making it harder to swallow is the fact they lost both games after the siren. Nic White missed a long-range penalty attempt against the Blues, while All Blacks playmaker Aaron Cruden booted the Waikato Chiefs to victory in New Plymouth earlier this year. "Yeah it hurts, as a group we circled this one and spoke about winning in New Zealand," said coach Stephen Larkham. "We had the opportunity tonight, we really wanted to win in New Zealand and the guys had that as a goal this year." The Brumbies still have away games in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Perth to finish the season.

TESTING THREE WEEKS

The Brumbies face a make or break run at home over the next three weeks. They are one win away from equalling the longest unbeaten run at Canberra Stadium, which was set between 1996-98. They play the Rebels, the Otago Highlanders and the NSW Waratahs. The loss to the Blues means all three are must wins as the finals get closer. The Brumbies haven't lost at home since the opening round of the 2014 season. The biggest plus out of losing to the Blues was that they managed to escape with a valuable bonus point for losing by less than seven. They now have five bonus points from their eight games.