"They carried on a bit, I thought," Swain said. "I just want to go out there and shut them up this weekend."

The ACT Brumbies will stop short of declaring this week a revenge mission after losing the grand final to the Queensland Reds last year.

But you can bet there will be extra feelings with Australia's heavyweight sides collide in Canberra and the Brumbies attempt to snap a three-game losing run against the Reds.

The Brumbies-Reds rivalry has usurped the Brumbies-Waratahs hatred in recent years after two grand-final battles and jostling for Australian bragging rights.

For all of Australian rugby's form struggles, the Brumbies and Reds have been the bright sparks and are considered the most likely to seriously challenge New Zealand rivals later this year.

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But before they get to the trans-Tasman element of Super Rugby, they will unleash fury on each other and the Brumbies are bursting after having to stew on grand final heartbreak for 10 months.

Swain was one of two Brumbies in the sin bin when the Reds scored four minutes into injury time, snatching victory and sparking wild celebrations.

That night displayed everything great about rugby - an absorbing contest, 40,000 fans going wild despite Super Rugby AU being just a five-team competition and a television audience of 1.3 million people.

Not that it means much to the Brumbies.

"It's been sitting in the back of everyone's minds," Swain said.

"That sort of bitterness of last year and the way it ended. But as much as it hurts, we've got to go out there this weekend and stick to our guns."

Swain is set to return from concussion to rejoin the unbeaten Brumbies for their fourth home game in five matches this season.

The Brumbies and Reds are the only unbeaten teams in the competition, although that is skewed because of New Zealand's border rules delaying any trans-Tasman matches.

Either way, the top of the table clash is looming as a must-watch.

Both are yet to hit top gear and haven't completely dominated all matches, but the overall signs have been good.

The Brumbies are the competition's leading point-scorers after four rounds, the ACT side, the Reds and the Canterbury Crusaders the only teams to have scored more than 100 points so far this year.

"In previous years we've probably got it a little bit wrong, but I feel like we're trending in the right direction," Brumbies fullback Tom Banks said.

"In recent years we've probably peaked a bit too early. This year it's been about getting better each week ... we don't want to play our best footy at the start of the year."

Rob Valetini is expected to be fit after leaving the field early in the win against the Rebels last week, while Folau Fainga'a could also return after overcoming an ankle injury.

"If you look at the last couple of games [against the Reds], it's always been close," Valetini said.

"Especially last year, even though they won all three games, I think we were leading for about 100-and-something minutes and they came back towards the end.

"That's just something we're trying to work on at the back end of games, closing out games and taking that into this week."

SUPER RUGBY ROUND FIVE

Friday: ACT Brumbies v Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium, 7.45pm.

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