'Belt other blokes': Why the Brumbies are turning on each other to unleash fury

Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham kept his players in an extended meeting on Tuesday to deliver home truths after a record loss in Auckland, which prompted questions about the team's title credentials.

He then sent them out on to the field to take out their frustrations on teammates to prove they're ready to reassert themselves physically in the Super Rugby arena.

But the lingering frustration was also tempered by some good news. Captain Allan Alaalatoa is poised to make his return from a shattering Achilles injury, which ruined his World Cup hopes and kept him on the sideline for nine months.

Alaalatoa leads the returning cavalry for the Brumbies, with Larkham to lock in his side on Wednesday as Andy Muirhead, Ben O'Donnell and Len Ikitau push to make their comebacks from respective knee injuries.

Alaalatoa and Muirhead are the most likely of the quartet to be available for this week as the Brumbies look to repair their dented pride and damaged title aspirations after being thumped by the Auckland Blues.

Hooker Connal McInerney conceded the Brumbies lost the physical battle against the Blues and then had to play catch up for the rest of the match. The task Larkham set them on Tuesday was to fix that error.

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"There are going to be boys out there trying to belt other blokes," McInerney said.

"There was some disappointment [with team selections] as well, so there's going to be that edge at training. We'll fix it up. Not really looking forward to it, but we have to pick it up at training because that's where it starts.

"If you don't win the physical battle, especially against these Kiwi teams, you're not going to give yourself much of a chance. A lot of that onus is on the ball carrier."

There was a hint of excitement in McInerney's voice as he spoke about the response needed to spark the Brumbies. While not excited to bash his teammates, he is keen to be back on the field in any capacity after off-season neck surgery kept him out of action for four months.

He had two bulging discs and "the neck of a 70-year-old", but says he has regained strength and is keen to prove himself on the field again as he fights for a new contract - either in Canberra or elsewhere.

The 29-year-old was rushed back into Super Rugby after Lachlan Lonergan dislocated his ankle last month and the Brumbies have been forced to manage key-position injuries through the first nine weeks of the season.

Alaalatoa hasn't played since he ruptured his Achilles tendon in July last year, Muirhead and Ikitau were injured five weeks ago and O'Donnell has been out for 12 months.

The Brumbies have navigated that difficult period to be in third spot on the ladder, but they need to beat the competition-leading Hurricanes to send a message to the competition.

"We were pretty upset about [the loss last weekend]. I guess we have to move on pretty quickly. We got some good news with some players coming back and that has offset some disappointment," McInerney said.

"We know if we play our game, we can match it with the best in the comp. We didn't do that last weekend."