ACT Brumbies lock Rory Arnold bracing for bruising contest with Queensland Reds
ACT Brumbies big man Rory Arnold says it's time to draw a line in the sand on their Super Rugby season ahead of a must-win clash against the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.
The Brumbies have played half of their eight Australian conference matches and earned just one win, against the lowly Sunwolves, to sit languishing in fourth spot.
The Brumbies training at St Edmund's College on Tuesday. Matt Lucas (right) could earn a call up to the starting XV this week.
Photo: karleen minneyAnother loss to the Reds will see the Brumbies more than two wins adrift of table-toppers Melbourne Rebels and any chance of defending their conference title will hang by a thread.
Arnold admits the Reds pack got the better of them when the teams met in round three and said he was looking forward to making amends in a bruising contest.
"They probably got one on us up there but they get to come down to Canberra now and it's time for us to draw a line in the sand, everyone has to step up this week," Arnold said.
"The Reds will be good, they've got a good scrum, Taniela [Tupou] is a massive unit and anchors their scrum down well, there's a lot of experience there, so we've got to step up one to eight.
"Any game against a team with big physical players it's good to put your hand up and try to make a mark for yourself. It's going to be a good game, I'm looking forward to it.
"We're not not where we want to be on the table, we haven't won a game against an Australian franchise yet, it's a big game for us and we have to get the result."
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar could be set to tinker with his starting lineup for clash.
Scrumhalf Matt Lucas has been strong in 25-minute bursts off the bench this season and could come into the starting XV at the expense of two-Test Wallaby Joe Powell.
McKellar has long been a fan of Lucas, who left the New South Wales Waratahs last season in search of more game time.
Andy Muirhead looks unlikely told hold onto the No. 15 jersey just two weeks after earning his first start, but could be under an injury cloud.
Tom Banks would replace Muirhead at fullback, while winger Chance Peni could come back into the mix after missing selection in the past two games.
Co-captain Sam Carter has been battling lingering concussion, which means locks Arnold and Blake Enever will likely pair up again in an unchanged forward pack.
Tom Cusack said the focus this week has been working out ways to cross the chalk and the flanker backed the Brumbies to unleash their attacking brand of running rugby against the Reds.
"Our attack probably isn't at the standard where we want it to be, our defence is one of the best in the competition, but you can't win a game without scoring tries," Cusack said.
"The whole week has been about how we're going to expose that part of our game and score a lot more tries because that's how you win games.
"We can see the space, it's just about actually taking the space. We know we create a lot of opportunities and they're big boys, so hopefully they blow up a bit and we can exploit them out wide."
SUPER RUGBY ROUND EIGHT
Saturday: ACT Brumbies v Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium, 7:45pm. Tickets at Ticketek.