Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa is backing Canberra to turn up the heat on the ladder-leading Auckland Blues on Saturday night, in a match with huge finals ramifications.
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On the same evening Australia's votes are counted to determine who will be the prime minister for the next three years, the Brumbies will be fighting for top position on the Super Rugby ladder.
Trailing the Blues by seven competition points, the Brumbies sit third behind the Crusaders, on 43 apiece. The Brumbies have one more win in the bag than their New Zealand rival, though some big victories put the Crusaders ahead.
The last two rounds of the regular season are crucial. Not only will they decide when and where the finals will take place, but the Brumbies could technically still be crowned minor premiers.
"We've spoken about that earlier in the week, the position it would put us in. I think it's good for the boys to get clarity on that and what that looks like for us - the meaning behind this game and the next," Alaalatoa said.
"Also the opportunity to do that here in front of our family.
"So many boys need extra tickets because all of their families want to come down and be a part of this huge game."
Last week heavy rain in the lead-up to the Crusaders match might have impacted crowd attendance, but 8376 fans braved the Canberra cold and lifted the Brumbies in the second half.
Despite the contest ending in a hard-fought loss, Alaalatoa was hoping for an even bigger turnout this weekend.
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"What we saw last week, we were happy that the rain held up, but it was an awesome crowd. They were so loud," the skipper said.
"They really got around the boys and tried to push us home in the back end of the game. So that's going to be huge for us.
"The boys are keen to get out here and to play in front of our crowd."
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