Ben Mowen says Brumbies driven by revenge in Super Rugby finals clash against Chiefs

BEN Mowen has revealed last year’s gutting Super Rugby final defeat will drive a more skilled Brumbies outfit to revenge against the Chiefs.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 01: Ben Mowen of the Brumbies gets tackled by Sam Wykes of the Force during the round three Super Rugby match between the Western Force and the ACT Brumbies at nib Stadium on March 1, 2014 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

RECORD-breaking captain Ben Mowen has revealed last year’s gutting Super Rugby final defeat will drive a more skilled Brumbies outfit to revenge against the Chiefs.

The Brumbies play host to the Kiwi defending champions in the opening 2014 playoff on Saturday night at Canberra’s GIO Stadium in what will be Mowen’s 50th game for his adopted province.

The former Waratahs No. 8 will break George Gregan’s mark as the ACT team’s most-capped skipper in what could be also his last appearance in the navy, white and yellow.

MORE: Brumbies brimming with belief for finals charge

A Brumbies victory, avenging the 27-22 loss to the Chiefs in the 2013 decider, would likely set up a mouth-watering semi-final against the table-topping Waratahs on July 26 but a loss will see him pack up for France to play with Montpellier.

Brumbies players celebrate a try by Joe Tomane (centre).

The Brumbies have already partially atoned for last year’s final defeat in Hamilton — after they led 22-12 with 16 minutes left — with a superb 41-23 pounding of the Chiefs on Anzac Day.

Mowen rated it up with Friday night’s 47-25 thrashing of the Western Force as their best performance of 2014 but the ex-Wallabies captain said a strong desire for revenge remained this week.

“Massively,” he said.

“There’s a great rivalry between the two sides and us having lost the final to them last season — we want to make sure we’re there at the end and we want to put one over them on the way through.

MORE: Watch full highlights of the Brumbies’ big win over the Force

“The great thing about knockout footy is who’s going to be ‘on’ on the day and to come up against a side like that, I’m sure will bring out the best in the boys.”

Although the Chiefs are the two-time defending champions, the Brumbies enter the qualifying final with superior form following the return of fit-again stars Matt Toomua, Sam Carter, Tevita Kuridrani and Joe Tomane.

It was the extra pace and skill which most impressed in their seven-try win over the Force and it’s an attacking style they aim to continue through the finals.

Mowen stressed the Brumbies wouldn’t go into their shell and promised to show the extra dimensions to a game that was highly structured and reliant on kicking under Jake White.

“To have an all-Wallaby backline fit and firing is outstanding and that’s a big strength of ours,” he said.

“We know how to play the tight games, that’s been a massive strength for this group in the last couple of years.

“But if we can add that little bit extra skill on the end of it there’s going to be a lot more opportunities for tries.”

As well as boasting Tomane on the bench, the Brumbies have fellow three-quarters Robbie Coleman and Andrew Smith back available.

Originally published as Ben Mowen says Brumbies driven by revenge in Super Rugby finals clash against Chiefs