The Wallabies World Cup hopeful is gearing up for a showdown against former schoolmate Patrick Osborne as the Brumbies fight to end a form slump to stay in Super Rugby finals contention.

The Brumbies will get a double backline boost for the clash against the Otago Highlanders on Friday night with Jesse Mogg and Tevita Kuridrani set to return at Canberra Stadium.

That will take pressure off Speight and allow him to shift to the favoured position on the wing, but the 27-year-old wants to take on more responsibility after ending his try-scoring drought last week.

"I scored my first one at about the same time last year so it was good to get that going," Speight said.

"Hopefully if we contain their big wingers we can score ourselves some tries. Our leadership and experience has been tested the last few weeks.

"But the calibre and class of Moggy and [Kuridrani] back this week, you can't substitute that."

The Highlanders boast one of the most dangerous wing combinations in Super Rugby, with Osborne and Waisake Naholo sharing 10 tries between them.

It's a combination Speight knows all too well, having gone to high school with Osborne in Fiji and cutting his teeth in the New Zealand provincial competition with Naholo.

"Patrick was always known for his speed, none of us could catch him," Speight said.

"I got to know Wais in my time in New Zealand from playing second or third division to now killing it in Super Rugby.

"It will be great to go up against them and hopefully have a kava bowl afterwards with four Fijians."

Speight took time out of his preparation on Wednesday to start collecting second-hand football boots to give back to his Fijian roots.

Speight played the first five years of his rugby days without owning a pair of boots. And when he finally got his hands on some studs, they were patched up with plumbing tape and shared around the team.

"I played barefoot through primary school and didn't get any boots until I was 14," Speight said.

"It was just one pair for the season, there was a lot of patch work done getting them sewn up or held together with plumbing tape.

"We'd swap boots on the field ... it will be awesome to get these boots back home. Rugby is really growing now ... these could go a long way to getting some kids' rugby careers starting off.

"I wish I had these flash boots when I was starting off in under-9s. We'll liaise with Fiji Rugby, there are a few primary schools that these boots can go to."

SUPER RUGBY ROUND 11

Friday: ACT Brumbies v Otago Highlanders at Canberra Stadium, 7.40pm. TV time: Live on Fox Sports 2. Tickets available from Ticketek.