If the challenge of winning at Eden Park wasn't daunting enough, the ACT Brumbies are preparing to deal with an additional hurdle in Saturday's Super Rugby Pacific semi-final against the Auckland Blues.
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Showers and blustery winds are forecast for the contest, with Dan McKellar's side confident their game is well suited to handle the conditions.
It's weather the Brumbies are familar with, rain falling throughout last weekend's quarter-final victory over the Wellington Hurricanes at Canberra Stadium.
The showers have continued into this week, the side training in wet and slippery conditions as they prepare to face the Blues at Eden Park.
While the mercury is expected to be slightly higher in Auckland, rain is forecast for the sudden-death contest.
That has the Brumbies preparing for a hard-fought, physical contest and assistant coach Laurie Fisher is confident his side is up for the challenge.
"You don't beat a New Zealand side if you don't, at worst, match them in the collission," Fisher said. "They've got skills with (Beauden) Barrett, (Roger) Tuivasa-Sheck, (Rieko) Ioane, and guys like that, but their game is based on the power up front.
"It's [an area] we've improved, it's certainly been a focus coming into the New Zealand Trans Tasman side of games. We'll skinny up our shape a little bit and focus more on dominating the carry, trying to dominate the clean out and provide that quick ruck ball that any side will thrive off."
If last week's quarter-final was the wet-weather dress rehearsal, the Brumbies passed with flying colours.
Ball-handling from both sides was exceptional throughout the contest.
The first scrum wasn't packed until late in the first half, ACT making just four errors in the 10-point win.
While the Brumbies weren't afraid to throw the ball around, they were careful to pick the right moments to chance their arm.
For Fisher, that all starts with winning the battle up front.
"You cannot wait for them to come to you because they're coming," he said. "You've got to get that step into contact, you've got to get body height.
"They're no bigger than us. We've got a big forward pack, so we've just got to be prepared. You've got to play a game that allows you to win collisions, so maybe you take a little bit of skill out of it. Make sure you focus more on carry height, carry power, close support, try and dominate there."
While scrums played a reduced role last weekend, the Brumbies are prepared for the set-piece to take centre-stage at Eden Park.
It's typically an area of strength for the side and they largely held their own when they faced the Blues earlier this season.
The scrum has been of particular focus throughout the week and veteran prop James Slipper said each forward must focus on completing their individual roles.
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"We went into the game (last week) prepared for a big set-piece battle," Slipper said. "They'd picked a pretty strong scrum, in our mindset we were ready to go, but it didn't end up happening.
"I'm sure this week, with the conditions, the wet weather, it could be another big game the set piece, which is important.
"We've got to make sure we turn up and do our jobs individually and collectively that will pay dividends for the team. Set piece is such a crucial part of our game, when we don't get that right, we put ourselves under pressure. That's the key for us, individually to get the job done."
The Brumbies are set to finalise their lineup on Wednesday, with Len Ikitau facing the judiciary on Tuesday night following Saturday's red card.
A suspension will lead to a reshuffle of the backline, with Ollie Sapsford and Hudson Creighton in the frame to step into the No. 13 jersey.
"Ollie Sapsford was excellent when he came in on the weekend," Fisher said.
"If Huddy Creighton gets the nod, all his cameos this year have been good for us. Sometimes your hand gets forced, but I know we've got guys ready to step up."
Super Rugby Pacific Semi-Final
Saturday: Auckland Blues v ACT Brumbies at Eden Park, 5.05pm