That's the combination the Brumbies need to progress to their first Super Rugby final in nine years, according to the last captain to lead the Canberra club to victory in Pretoria.

The Brumbies have won three of their nine games in the South African city ahead of their preliminary final against the Bulls on Sunday morning Australian time.

While it doesn't appear to be a great record on the surface, it compares favourably to several other venues in the competition.

Playing at a ground that is 1350 metres above sea level presents unique challenges at the best of times, let alone for a Brumbies side coming off a gritty 15-13 win over the Free State Cheetahs at Canberra Stadium.

Stirling Mortlock skippered the Brumbies to their most recent win over the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in 2006, while he also scored the match-winning try in the corresponding fixture six years earlier.

''Coaching and support staff put a lot of effort into planning the physical and mental shape, but the reality is at some stage the body will be burning, and in talking to a lot of the South African guys, they have that burn as well,'' Mortlock said.

''It's just they're used to going through it. It's the guys having that understanding that at some stage they will have that burning, embracing it and getting through it together.''

Flanker George Smith and winger Clyde Rathbone are survivors from that 2006 side that beat the Bulls 27-21. While the Brumbies are in the finals for the first time since winning their last title in 2004, the Bulls collected the championship in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

''It's pretty tough. Basically I liken it to the spiritual home of South African rugby,'' Mortlock said. ''Sometimes that crowd can be quite hostile, but you learn to love it and playing in front of those sort of crowds. It's a fantastic challenge to expose yourself to and one that's quite significant for the Brumbies this weekend.''

The Brumbies will name their team on Wednesday night. While penalty goals were enough to get past the Cheetahs, former Brumbies and Wallabies No.8 Owen Finegan doesn't believe it will be enough to upset the Bulls.

Finegan implored the Brumbies to follow the example of the Canterbury Crusaders, who threw the ball around with abandon in eliminating the Queensland Reds last week.

''You can understand what the Brumbies are trying to do when you see what sort of mood Jesse Mogg is in, if he's kicking the ball all day,'' Finegan said.

''There's a degree of finals football about playing field position, but you have a look at the endeavour the Crusaders had and the style of game they played. If the Brumbies play like the Crusaders and try their luck and have a crack, I'd give them a great hope.''