ACT Brumbies captain Ben Mowen is adamant his team can recharge and build momentum to "fly into our last game" as he contemplates an earlier-than-expected finish to his Super Rugby career.
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Mowen and the injury-hit Brumbies are clinging to their finals hopes after a 31-point loss to the NSW Waratahs on Saturday night.
Having a bye this week means they could drop to ninth on the ladder if results go against them, leaving their play-off ambitions resting on a last-round clash with the Western Force at Canberra Stadium on July 11.
If the Brumbies lose, it could bring former Wallabies captain Mowen's Australian career to an abrupt halt as he prepares to join French club Montpellier for the next three years.
But Mowen is refusing to look too far ahead, insisting the Brumbies' championship bid is still alive. And in some good news for the Brumbies, they could regain up to eight of their 11 unavailable players for the Force game.
"I know the end is very close [for me], I just want to see this side earn the result it deserves and, in my mind, that's a championship," Mowen said.
"I've seen the work, the development and the buy-in from the guys. They deserve a championship. I really hope we do go on that run now.
"I'm excited by the opportunity that is there, our destiny isn't right in our hands, but I don't see any reason why we can't build some momentum with a week off.
"It's a chance to have a break and recharge. I think we can really fly into our last game [against the Force] and if you have a great performance there you're on a run. The finals gives you a kick, we know what it takes to win on the road."
The undermanned Brumbies were no match for the high-flying Waratahs in a disappointing interstate derby. They held on for as long as they could before the Waratahs scored three tries in the last 20 minutes to cruise to a 39-8 win.
The Brumbies are locked in a log-jam battle with several teams for a play-off berth.
Last year's grand finalists have to wait for results this weekend before mounting their bid to make the finals two years running for the first time in more than a decade.
If the Force beats the Queensland Reds on Saturday night, the Brumbies will drop to seventh on the ladder. But both the Force and Brumbies' finals plans will hinge on the last-round blockbuster in the capital.
Matt Toomua (groin), Sam Carter (ankle), Pat McCabe (shoulder), Joseph Tomane (cheek), Andrew Smith (hamstring) and Josh Mann-Rea (hamstring) are all chances to return against the Force.
Third-string hooker Mann-Rea would be a huge boost as the Brumbies aim to stabilise their set piece with regular rakes Stephen Moore and Siliva Siliva out of action for the rest of the year.
Prop Ruaidhri Murphy made the switch to hooker for the Waratahs game despite having never played the position.
Brumbies director of rugby Laurie Fisher said the club's Wallabies representatives needed some downtime this week after the three-Test series against France.
"We'll hit the Force and hopefully we're alive for the finals. That game could be [a mini grand final]. I know this side has great character. We've worked hard over the last three years for anything we've got, so we'll keep doing that," Fisher said.
