Allan Alaalatoa says Wallabies' World Cup hopefuls need to focus on one thing: winning

The Brumbies will be aiming to end a seven-year losing streak in Brisbane when they play the Queensland Reds on Friday night.

So while several players are riding high after being picked in a World Cup planning camp, and Alaalatoa has been floated as one of several captaincy contenders, the tighthead prop issued a timely reminder about looking too far ahead.

"We've all still got a lot of work to do," Alaalatoa said. "Especially for other boys that are in [the Wallabies] camp as well. It's not about being a part of a Wallabies squad, it's about winning.

"That's our focus and to make sure that our younger boys understand that as well.

"I know [the captaincy talk] is there, it's something I'm aware of. I haven't really spoken to Eddie much about it to be honest, I'm just focused on getting better as a leader here.

"That's something I have spoken to Eddie about, making sure I grow my leadership and build that relationship between [coach Stephen Larkham] and myself.

"And continuing to think about how the program can get better, or how our performance can get better even after wins. Those are the focus points and yea, if I do a good job then maybe [the Wallabies captain's job] is an option. But my thoughts haven't been too far from my job and and I do here at the Brums."

Jones revealed he is considering naming multiple captains due to the impact of concussion in rugby and mandatory stand-down periods for players who are knocked out.

Alaalatoa missed two weeks earlier this season after copping a head knock in round two. It was his third concussion in eight months.

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The 29-year-old captained the Wallabies for the first time last year, but James Slipper is the incumbent and Michael Hooper was the leader before stepping aside last year.

"I reckon we'll need probably seven captains with HIA, so you can all write down your seven choices on a slip and send them through to me," Jones said when he named his first Wallabies squad.

"But I think we're going to need to have a number of captains, in all seriousness. The way the game is at the moment, I think we're going to need to have a number of captains. So I'm just working out... what will best suit the team, firstly for the Rugby Championship and then obviously as an entrée into the World Cup."

Irrespective of Jones' captaincy call, Alaalatoa has narrowed his focus to ending a horror run in Brisbane dating back to 2015. The Brumbies have lost seven games in a row against the Reds in Queensland, including the 2021 Super Rugby AU final.

"We know how hard it is to go there and put on a good performance and to win. That's definitely motivating us," Alaalatoa said.

"They see it as a fortress and they get a great turnout ... I know they love playing in front of their passionate fans. Laurie [Fisher] touched on [the losing streak] briefly this week and we're not putting our main focus on it, but it is something we're aware of to give us the understanding of how hard it's going to be."

The Brumbies have lost just one of six games so far this season. On the other side of the fence, the Reds have won just two of their six games and have swung the axe to make changes for the Brumbies' clash.

James O'Connor looms as a threat from the bench playing the same role he did a month ago when he came on and almost stole the game from the Brumbies.

But Alaalatoa said the Brumbies were still determined to improve, despite being the Reds in Canberra and coming from behind to topple the NSW Waratahs last week.

"It might have been an entertaining game for the fans and our families to watch [against the Waratahs], but we were quite disappointed," Alaalatoa said.

"There's a bit of edge to us this week though that review and understanding how we can get better because although we did win, we didn't perform well."

Alaalatoa also praised the rise of loosehead prop Blake Schoupp, who has rocketed out of obscurity this season to earn a Wallabies training camp call up.

"It's an awesome story. He came here looking for an opportunity, got one in a trial match and through good performance he got another opportunity," Alaalatoa said.

"It's no surprise when you see his work ethic and the way he wants to learn. He's always tapping into Slips' head or my head in terms of scrummaging and he's got [Dan Palmer], one of the world-class best scrum coaches there is. It's a credit to him."

SUPER RUGBY

Friday: Queensland Reds v ACT Brumbies at Brisbane, 7.35pm.

ACT BRUMBIES: James Slipper, Lachlan Lonergan, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Cadeyrn Neville, Rob Valetini, Rory Scott, Pete Samu, Nic White, Noah Lolesio, Corey Toole, Tamati Tua, Len Ikitau, Andy Muirhead, Tom Wright. BENCH: Billy Pollard, Blake Schoupp, Rhys Van Nek, Darcy Swain, Luke Reimer, Ryan Lonergan, Jack Debreczeni, Ben O'Donnell.

QUEENSLAND REDS: Peni Ravai, Matt Faessler, Phransis Sula-Siaosi, Angus Blyth, Seru Uru, Liam Wright (cc), Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson, Tate McDermott (cc), Lawson Creighton, Filipo Daugunu, Isaac Henry, Josh Flook, Jordan Petaia, Jock Campbell. BENCH: Richie Asiata, Dane Zander, Zane Nonggorr, Ryan Smith, Jake Upfield, Kalani Thomas, James O'Connor, Taj Annan.

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