The National Times - McKellar tells Waratahs to 'roll sleeves up' against rivals Brumbies

They face an ACT Brumbies team riding high after a 33-24 come-from-behind thriller against the Waikato Chiefs last week and with home advantage in Canberra.

The Sydney-based Waratahs welcome back wing Andrew Kellaway but will be without fellow Wallaby Harry Potter with a quad injury.

McKellar expects a physical battle against their arch-rivals.

"There'll be no surprises down there. It's going to be a pretty cool Friday evening at GIO Stadium and so there'll be a bit of dew around," McKellar said.

"They'll come hard at the breakdown, as they always do. You've got to be nice and physical down there and you've got to be accurate, while discipline's going to be really important.

"We've just got to roll our sleeves up and be hungry for what's going to be a physical contest."

The Waratahs last tasted victory in Canberra in 2018, a 24-17 victory, with the Brumbies winning 14 of the last 15 against their great foes.

"It's the biggest game of the year for us traditionally," said Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham, whose side are third on the ladder after four wins from six.

"We've had a lot of travel over the first six rounds of the competition and finally get a bit of rhythm now with a seven-day turnaround into this game.

"So looking forward to the game for a number of reasons."

One of the reasons is another landmark for veteran prop James Slipper.

He became the most capped Super Rugby player in history last week against the Chiefs when appearing in his 203rd game.

This time he will become the first player to be capped 100 times for two separate Super Rugby teams, bringing up his century in Brumbies colours after 104 games for the Queensland Reds.

"I think the 203 was a really special milestone," said Larkham.

"This one is probably a step down, though for any other player it would be a highlight of their career."

S.Clarke--TNT