The Brumbies are aiming to make a last-round rise up the ladder when they play the Western Force in Perth and have set their sights on a top-two spot.

A four-try bonus point will give the Brumbies the best chance of finishing first or second, but they need to rely on either the Bulls or Chiefs to lose.

Finishing first or second advances the teams to the preliminary final and reduces a heavy travel schedule on the journey to the title.

Just one team in Super Rugby history - the Crusaders in 1999 - has won the grand final after finishing outside the top two.

''It's massive to finish in the top two, if you don't you're behind the eight ball just that little bit,'' coach Jake White said.

''But if you finish outside the top two, it doesn't mean it [winning the title] can't happen or it won't happen. I said to the boys that the nice thing we've got is a massive away record, and we've won away from home more than most. So if we have to travel, maybe we'll become the first team [in 14 years] to win the championship from not in the top two.''

The Brumbies will end a nine-year finals hiatus when the play-offs begin next week.

If they remain third, they will take on either the Free State Cheetahs or the Queensland Reds.

But a third-placed finish also means the Brumbies face the prospect of travelling almost 30,000 kilometres over three weeks to try to win the title, with trips to Perth, Pretoria and Hamilton looming.

That makes the lure of a spot in the top two even more enticing.

The Brumbies (59 points) can jump the Chiefs (61) or the Bulls (63) if either team loses and the Brumbies score at least four tries in a win over the Force.

There's a feeling the Brumbies play a dour style of rugby with White putting an emphasis on strong defence. One of the reasons the ARU gave Ewen McKenzie the Wallabies job ahead of White was because of that perception and McKenzie's attacking plan.

Yet the Brumbies have scored 11 more tries than the Reds this season.