Australia's top two teams will go head to head in Canberra on Friday night with Jacques Potgieter's homophobic slur and David Pocock's contest with Michael Hooper set to intensify on-field hostilities.

But dual international Folau is adamant the game will be "played in the right spirit" and that rugby league's showpiece - State of Origin - is still No. 1 in mate versus mate matches.

"It's a high level of rivalry, but Origin is the biggest rivalry game I've been involved in," Folau said.

"In terms of the game of rugby union, this is definitely the game that is up there. The guys always look forward to being a part of the game.

"There are some amazing back lines, we'll be throwing everything at each other but we'll be mates after it."

The Brumbies are hoping the bitter derby match will draw in their biggest crowd of the season, with hopes of cracking 20,000 fans for the first time this year.

The Waratahs have the edge over the Brumbies in the most recent encounters, winning a semi-final in Sydney last year followed by a heated 28-13 triumph six weeks ago.

Wallabies spots are up for grabs as players attempt to impress Waratahs and Australian coach Michael Cheika.

Both teams insist they have moved on from the ugly incident in the last match, where Potgieter used homophobic remarks to sledge two Brumbies players.

Potgieter was fined $20,000, with $10,000 of that suspended.

"What happened in the last game, I don't think the Brumbies would use that as any motivation," Folau said.

"We're professional footballers just worried about the game. I'm sure we'll go out there without thinking of anything from the past and it will be played in the right spirit.

"We're all passed that and the guys are more focused on what's going to happen on the footy field."

The ramifications from the result are huge, with a Waratahs win setting them up to claim top spot in the Australian conference.

A Brumbies victory would see them edge further ahead of NSW in the race to snatch Australia's guaranteed finals berth.

Folau is trying to breakthrough for his first rugby union triumph in Canberra in a city which has delivered good results for a three-code convert.

He scored five tries in three NRL games for the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos and was part of the GWS Giants' historic first win at Manuka Oval in 2012 before switching to the Waratahs.

But he has failed in his two attempts to beat the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium.

"There's no motivation really needed for a game against the Brumbies in Canberra," Folau said.

"Footy wise, we probably haven't been playing the best I know we can as a group. Slowly we're trying to find our feet as a group.

"We're going to have to muscle-up in the contact area, set up by our big guys to lay the platform. I think the last time I won a game [at Canberra Stadium] was with the Melbourne Storm.

"I don't look back and think about win and loss ratios. It's a tough place to go and play, but we're looking forward to the challenge."

SUPER RUGBY ROUND 12

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