Super Rugby Pacific: Hurricanes reveal Brumbies blueprint, aim to target 'pressure points'

The Wellington-based side have been watching the Brumbies' last three losses very carefully, and while they won't be drawn into underestimating their Australian opponents, they've been taking notes on how to rattle them.

"We're understanding where the pressure points come from them and what's happened off that," Hurricanes assistant coach Chris Gibbes said.

"They've got a very good forward pack and they use that to get penalties and march up the field and then they unleash their backs.

"But I think they all understand exactly how they want to play. Now if you can disrupt that then you provide opportunities for yourself.

"Without giving too much detail around how we're going to do it, that's kind of the plan."

Gibbes is aware the Hurricanes are the underdogs in the match, and admitted to reporters that the team have not been at their best this season. He said they have failed to put in a complete 80-minute performance to date.

Just last week they went down to the Force too, which was a less than ideal lead-up to the quarter-final in Canberra.

It hasn't helped that the Hurricanes have been struck by the flu running through their squad. Five players were sent back home over the Tasman with Gibbes revealing the players coming back into the squad would be Jordie Barrett, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Tyrel Lomax, Ruben Love, and Julian Savea.

"We had a pretty tough week, but hopefully we've kicked it all out of us," Gibbes said of the illness setback.

But the Hurricanes aren't making excuses for falling short of their potential on the field.

"Being pretty blunt, we didn't achieve what we've set out to do," Gibbes said. "There's a little bit of complacency that slipped in and we just we didn't play to our level for the time that we needed to."

Veteran All Blacks hooker Dane Coles said there's plenty of energy and excitement in the team for the clash against the Brumbies, facing several Wallabies.

"We had to move on pretty quick and not dwell on [the Force game] too much. The excitement of playing the Brumbies in a quarter-final, the record is not great, but what a challenge for us of going out and putting in a performance we can be proud," Coles said.

"There is massive belief in the group that we can give it a good crack.

"They're a quality outfit and full of Wallabies. They've got a game that works for them, they've stuck with it for a while and it's gotten good results for them.

"Scotty Sio, James Slipper there, they're Wallabies for a reason. Their set pieces are a massive part of their game with their drives and their scrum.

"I know those boys would be pretty fired up playing at home so looking forward to the battle."

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If there's one thing Coles is not looking forward to, it's the icy reception he gets visiting Canberra Stadium. Gibbes predicted the "parochial crowd" to get "quite loud" cheering on the Brumbies, and Coles agreed.

"They're pretty vocal. It gets us fired up," Coles said.

"They're pretty passionate as all fans should be. Looking forward to a bit of abuse on the sideline, but that's all part of it."

When asked if he ever gets tempted to return fire, Coles chose to be sensible and diplomatic.

"Not so much these days. It'll probably get recorded and I'll get a fine," he said.

"I just give a smile and a wave and get on to the next job."

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