Mogg will take the next step in his fairytale journey from Canberra club rugby to Super Rugby star when the Brumbies play the Waikato Chiefs in the final in Hamilton.

But had Mogg refused Brumbies coach Jake White's request for him to miss Wests' premier division grand final in 2011, the one-Test Wallaby could be on the rugby scrap heap.

White took the Brumbies coaching reins two years ago and plucked a lanky Mogg out of the first-grade competition to offer him a training spot.

It was the career lifeline Mogg craved, but with a Brumbies deal up for grabs White asked him to sit out the John I Dent Cup grand final to avoid injury.

Mogg was playing for Wests - the same club which produced Wallabies and Brumbies Stephen Larkham and Rod Kafer - and nursing an injured shoulder.

More damage in the grand final against Tuggeranong would have forced him to have a shoulder reconstruction.

''Jake said you can risk it in the grand final or sit out and I'll give you a spot,'' Mogg said.

''There were no guarantees for Jake, but he said if I got injured again and had to have surgery he might not have been able to offer me a contract.

''I had to make a sacrifice for that, but it's worth it now. It was tough … it was a chance I had to take and I owe a lot to Jake.''

The Brumbies left Canberra on Wednesday night and will fly to New Zealand on Thursday morning to finalise their preparations.

Mogg epitomises the squad's rapid rise from professional obscurity to the title decider.

Mogg was preparing to give up on his rugby dreams and move back to Brisbane when White spotted him playing for Wests.

Two years on he has played almost every Super Rugby match, made his Wallabies debut in front of 87,000 fans and is playing in a Super Rugby grand final.

''You look at the skills he has and it would have happened at some stage,'' two-time championship winner Larkham said.

''He's genuinely skilful, probably our most co-ordinated player and reads the game really well.

''It was only a matter of time and he just needed a bit of an opportunity.''

When the Brumbies last won the title in 2004, Mogg was in year 10 at high school and didn't know there was a Super Rugby team in the capital.

''Hopefully I can finally win a grand final,'' Mogg said.

''I still haven't come to grips with it, it still hasn't sunk in that we're in the Super Rugby grand final.

''When it hits me that we're playing for the trophy … it will be a great reward. It was 24 months ago I was playing with mates and now I'm lining up for a Super Rugby trophy.''

Veteran winger Clyde Rathbone is at the opposite end of the spectrum. The 2004 championship winner ended a three-year retirement this season to return to the Brumbies.

''This group is vastly more inexperienced, but at the same time I think the momentum in terms of the belief that's been fostered in the group is key,'' Rathbone said.

''Across our back line and throughout our forward pack we've got guys who two years ago no one knew about and now are starting to stamp their authority on games in big games.''