'Always a big week': ACT Brumbies-NSW Waratahs rivalry aids Irae Simone's Wallabies ambition

The uncapped inside centre will take the next step towards his dream of representing Australia when the Brumbies host their bitter rivals at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night.

The NSW Waratahs showdown looms as a major opportunity for the Brumbies to edge closer to securing a home final with three games left in the regular season.

Simone is adamant that is his top priority, determined to put his best foot forward with uncertainty hovering over the make-up of the international calendar at the end of the season.

Even so there could be little doubt Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is keeping an eye on Simone having declared his national side will be picked on form rather than reputation.

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"That's on the cards, but my priority here is just the Brumbies and to win this competition first. Everything else will take care of itself," Simone said.

"We can't get complacent on top of the table. We've got to worry about week by week, this week we've got the Tahs. We're going to worry about the rest of the comp at the back end of the year.

"For us it's just about playing good footy, getting our detail and our roles right, playing Brumbies rugby, and that's what you're going to see in these last couple of weeks. That's what we're excited for."

Come kick-off the Brumbies will have been made to wait more than two weeks for a shot at redemption after their last-start loss against the Melbourne Rebels before their last-round bye.

Now they will look to rebuild their run of dominance over interstate rivals and Simone could think of few better challenges than the one posed by the Waratahs, labelling Brumbies prop Scott Sio the man to drive home the importance of "Tah week" at training.

The 25-year-old says a focus on individual preparation will steel the Brumbies' resurgence as they look to gel with a new-look XV against their neighbours from across the border.

"It's just building those connections on the field as well as off the field, it builds that trust on the field," Simone said.

"Those combinations will start to click, we haven't been playing our best footy but leading into this game I think the boys are pretty keen on a different mindset going into this week, and there's no better game to get up for.

"I'm just playing my own footy, worrying about myself and my own prep. It's a credit to the boys helping me out, when they're doing their job, it just makes it easy for me.

"We're pretty confident in how we've been preparing this week going into the Tahs game. We're not going to give it to them easy. It's always a big week when it's Tah week.

"Boys are just looking forward to playing footy again so it's exciting."

SUPER RUGBY AU ROUND EIGHT

Saturday: ACT Brumbies v NSW Waratahs at Canberra Stadium, 7.15pm.