The Brumbies will enter the hardest part of the season after their bye this week © Getty Images

Enlarge

Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has told Fairfax Media he has given his side a pass mark for the first half of the season after the side finished nine rounds with the best win-loss record in the Australian conference and were only bettered by the Sharks in the whole competition.

Although the side has only registered one bonus-point win - against the Hurricanes - and fell disappointingly short to the Rebels, Larkham said he will keep the team focused on the win before searching for the extras.

"We got carried away against the Rebels, thinking we wanted to score four tries, and you saw that hurt us, in terms of the end result," Larkham said. "We've just got to make sure our focus is about winning the game first and then we chase bonus points when we're a little more comfortable.

"I guess it's been a little bit disappointing we haven't got as many bonus points as we would have liked. Six wins now and we're only three points ahead [of the Force], but our focus from here on will still be to win the games."

The Brumbies may sit on top of the conference table, but the side is now entering the defining part of their season. The Brumbies will face off with the Chiefs in a grand final rematch on Anzac Day at Canberra Stadium, before heading to New Zealand to take on the Crusaders followed by a grudge match at home against the Jake White coached Sharks.

The side will then finish their season with a two-match tour of South Africa before finishing off the home-and-away games with Australian derbies. Captain Ben Mowen said it was a busy time for the side, but the will be ready for the challenge.

"We've got a big period coming up, we've still got to go to Africa, some very tough Kiwi sides, and then we've got the Sharks, who are No.1 obviously, coming to Canberra," Mowen said. "Then we've got a Melbourne Rebels side that have already knocked us off. It doesn't get any easier, but the thing I love about this group is we react to challenge, we really like the challenge, it brings the best out in us."