Melbourne Rebels know they must counter Brumbies’ kicking game if they’re to win in Canberra

A capacity to counter the Brumbies’ kicking will be key to the Rebels’ hopes of posting successive wins against their Aussie rivals for the first time.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 29: Scott Higginbotham looks on during a Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby training session at Visy Park on May 29, 2014 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images)

MELBOURNE Rebels’ capacity to counter the Brumbies’ signature kicking game will be crucial in their attempts to post successive wins against the ACT for the first time.

After a disastrous trip to South Africa the Brumbies’ finals hopes are suddenly on the line while the Rebels are searching for a maiden win at Canberra Stadium.

Determined to atone for last week’s 41-19 defeat to NSW, the Rebels have buried memories of the loss — captain Scott Higginbotham acknowledged the difficulty of Friday night’s clash.

“The kicking battle is going to be a big one,” Higginbotham said.

“They execute their game plan no matter how the game is going.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who are going on a break after this game (because of the three Test series against France) and they all want to give everything before taking that break.”

Higginbotham, Luke Jones, Cadeyrn Neville and Tom English are among the Rebels who won’t have time off after being selected to join the Wallabies squad in Sanctuary Cove next week.

And while Higginbotham is hoping to enhance his own claims of cementing an international return with a standout performance against the Brumbies, he’s mindful of several ACT players with similar ambitions.

“Matt Toomua has a lot to prove,” Higginbotham said.

“Obviously Quade (Cooper) is out, he’s right in line for that No 10 jersey. He’s going to want to have a big game going into (Wallaby) camp the next week.”

The Brumbies dropped Jesse Mogg and replaced him at fullback with fellow Wallaby Pat McCabe and also recalled retirement-bound winger Clyde Rathbone for the game.

Melbourne upset the Brumbies 32-24 at AAMI Stadium in March but holds a 2-5 record overall against last season’s finalist.

Higginbotham said the prospect of again upstaging Stephen Larkham’s team was a focus despite the deflating performance against NSW.

“We really let go of the game against NSW on Sunday, we moved on very quickly.

“It was probably our second bad game of the year (along with 32-7 loss to Western Force) and it’s important that you recognise that and move on — you don’t take those things into the next week.”

Meanwhile, the imminent departure of Hugh Pyle and Chris Thompson’s retirement has prompted Melbourne to re-sign promising young lock Sam Jeffries until the end of 2016.

Frustrated by ankle and facial injuries this season, Jeffries will be promoted from the extended playing squad into the main squad to cover Thompson’s enforced retirement and France-bound Pyle.