Michaela Leonard's ACT Brumbies eye giant-killing run to Super W final

The Brumbies' toughest task is on the horizon after they opened their Super W campaign in dominant fashion against the Melbourne Rebels on home soil over the weekend.

The newly-formed President's XV and the three-time championship-winning NSW Waratahs await the Brumbies when they arrive in Coffs Harbour on Saturday.

The star-studded Waratahs will certainly present a tougher task than the Rebels did in the opening round but Leonard hopes to spark an upset which could pave the way for the Brumbies to feature in the decider.

The Brumbies face the President's XV at Coffs Harbour International Stadium on Sunday before meeting the Waratahs at the same venue the following Wednesday.

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A pair of wins would be enough to propel the Brumbies to a grand final on July 3 - a feat certainly not beyond them in Leonard's eyes.

"I don't think you can put a cap on it. There's no ceiling to that," Leonard said when asked what this Brumbies side is capable of.

"Each game, we're going to aim to go out and get better and to clean it up. Hopefully by the second weekend we'll be there in the final and we'll be coming away with a win."

But long before they can think about a final, or even the Waratahs, the Brumbies have to deal with the competition's newcomers.

The President's XV is a team built on players who missed out on selection in their respective states, suggesting this is a team with a point to prove.

"We've still got a lot of work to go, but it's definitely a step in the right direction," Brumbies coach Dan Hawke said.

"The President's XV is an unknown beast, so we'll be working hard to see what they've got, and we'll try to fix up a few things we need to get better at."

Anyone doubting the Brumbies' ability to withstand pressure need only watch the first 23 minutes of their season opener against the Rebels.

That's how long it took for the Brumbies to get out of their own half, spending the majority of the opening stanza defending their own line with backs to the wall - yet they still didn't break.

"It just comes back to the past six months. Hawkey and the coaching staff have just been bashing us out there every Tuesday and Wednesday night," Leonard said.

"It goes back to those repetitions and knowing if we're willing to beat each other and bash each other out there, we can do it to an opposition.

"Getting around each other, being there for the girl next to you, and making sure each rep you're chatting to them and making sure they know you're beside them and you'll make the hit too."

The Brumbies are sweating on the fitness of flyhalf Ella Ryan after she came from the field with a possible leg injury on Saturday, bringing down the curtain on an outstanding performance.

She was the focal point for a back line brimming with attacking weapons at Seiffert Oval.

The Brumbies were near impossible to stop at stages, suggesting veteran front-rower Louise Burrows was on the mark when she said the side finally has the fire power to match the forward pack.

"It shows when we get it right, when we have the opportunity to get through the line and put some points on the board," Leonard said.

"Definitely takeaways from this week is to hold onto our possession. We have an incredibly talented backline, so with the forwards moving forward, we're going to get some really clean ball that our backs can use out wide and find some spaces."

SUPER W

Round two: Sunday, June 27 - ACT Brumbies v President's XV at Coffs Harbour International Stadium, 11am. Broadcast live on Stan Sport. Tickets from Ticketek.

Round three: Wednesday, June 30 - NSW Waratahs v ACT Brumbies at Coffs Harbour International Stadium, 3pm. Broadcast live on Stan Sport. Tickets from Ticketek.

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