Ben Mowen says the Brumbies have "put too much work in to just say we were near enough" © Getty Images

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A burning desire to reach a personal milestone of 50 games for the Brumbies, as well as the belief that his side deserves so much more than to finish the 2014 Super Rugby season as also-rans, is driving Ben Mowen into the quasi-final again Western Force in Canberra.

The Brumbies have been boosted by the return of 200 games worth of experience for their final regular-season match - Mowen's 49th for the Brumbies, equalling George Gregan's captaincy record for the Canberra-based side as well - with Pat McCabe, Matt Toomua, Tom McVerry, Josh Mann-Rea, Sam Carter and Joe Tomane all included in the match-day squad. And Mowen says that's jolted the confidence within the side.

"Oh, definitely," Mowen said. "And having Josh Mann-Rea back on deck, especially, is a big bonus for the side. There was a lot of pressure last game [against New South Wales Waratahs, a fortnight ago] on Ruaidhri Murphy and Lukey Holmes to come in and do a lot off a very short preparation.

"But having those six blokes back in the match-day 23, and four of them are Wallabies, it makes a huge difference. There is a genuine excitement in the group this week, and we want to put in a big performance for Canberra on Friday night."

Having to win the last game of the season to qualify for the finals series is not a new scenario for the Brumbies, who were in a similar situation in 2012. Coming into the last match - also a home game, against the Blues - the Brumbies needed just one competition point out of the game to stay out of reach of Queensland Reds and top the Australian conference. Instead, they were beaten by 14 points and could only watch their finals place disappear as the Reds put a bonus-point win on the Waratahs later the same night.

Though the similarities are obvious, Mowen can feel a different team running out behind him two years on; one with decent finals experience and that won't be concerned by what happened in 2012.

"I think there's that much water under the bridge between then and now, that when I look at what could be the potential path ahead, if we get this game right on the weekend, it's an easier run to get to that final in terms of less travel and staying in Australia for a fortnight before that final," Mowen told ESPN.

Ben Mowen has been into battle and back with the Brumbies © Getty Images

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"I think there's a better opportunity this year than perhaps was presented last year when we finished third. That's the way myself and the team are thinking about it this weekend; we've just got to fly into the Force, you get a great result, and then that fourth spot's sitting there to be taken, and that really opens up the tournament."

Though the various permutations for the qualifying finals in week one include the possibility of the Brumbies hosting the Force in consecutive weeks, Mowen thinks the Crusaders and the Blues will both win at home - and obviously the Brumbies, too - meaning he and his team-mates will play the Highlanders in the first week of the play-offs.

"And then we'll get a shot at the Tahs in Sydney," Mowen hypothesises, "and then where to after that is the next step."

Mowen believes the gruelling travel schedule the Brumbies found themselves in last year - coming off the British & Irish Lions series, they flew to Perth, returned to Canberra, headed across the Indian Ocean to face the Bulls in a semi-final in Pretoria, back to Canberra, and then Canberra to Hamilton via Sydney and Auckland to face the Chiefs in the final - means the potential path to the final this season is significantly smoother. "But there's obviously a shitload of work to do before then," he said. "I just think this team deserves a huge result for itself, over the next couple of weeks, and if we can get that, then I'm sure there will be a time down the path where I look back and think, 'that was amazing'."

Having announced before the Super Rugby season commenced that his playing future lay in the south of France for the next three years, at least. Mowen conceded this week that it's been difficult as the Force game has come closer to escape the finality of the decision.

"But in a good way," Mowen says. "It does make you appreciate that in these last few weeks, there's a lot of 'lasts' coming up - last time you train at home, last Captain's Run potentially. Everything's almost a 'last', but it's nice in a way because it makes you that much more desperate to perform and leave on a good note."

And in fairness, it's not just Mowen going through this.

Brumbies director of rugby Laurie Fisher is taking up the head coach role with Aviva Premiership club Gloucester, and Mowen specifically spoke of veteran Clyde Rathbone and mid-season recruit McVerry, who will both have played their last game of football once the Brumbies' season is done. The desire to send all the departing names out as winners is obvious among the entire Brumbies squad.

But while Mowen juggles the emotions of qualifying for - and ideally going deep into - one last Super Rugby finals series, there's also the logistics of a move to consider - one where he and his wife expecting their second child in November means they're essentially on their way to Montpellier as soon as is humanly possible. French lessons are well advanced, Mowen said, and have been going on for more than six months.

Such is the lot of the professional rugby player, it seems. On one hand you're preparing and steeling yourself to remain in the moment with your current team, but then you get home and "the house is already packed up" and rooms are empty.

But while Mowen is ready for the move to France, he doesn't want to actually move to France just yet.

"No, I'm definitely not ready for this to be my last game, mate. This team's put too much work in to just say we were near enough, and that's what we were last year. Even if we were to make the finals and get knocked out, that's not what this side deserves. It deserves more, and we need to make sure we work for it."