David Nucifora appears a little lost for explanations about his Blues team's slump but he has no hesitation in explaining the Brumbies' predicament: "This is probably their last roll of the dice," he says of Saturday night's clash at Eden Park.
He may be right about the desperation surrounding the Brumbies' campaign that has them lying ninth with just three wins and four losses.
They need to get something going if they are to be playoffs contenders.
But there should be an equally desperate air about the Blues. Yes, they lie third, but they are in a poor run of form that has seen them drop three of their last five games and score just nine tries in that period.
They hit a new low with last week's loss to the Waratahs in Sydney and only some equally confusing results around them saw the Blues maintain their hold on third position.
"It's one of those things isn't it?" Nucifora says answering a question with a query when asked about the Blues' struggles.
"It's pretty much the same team that played very well ... played some outstanding football in the first three rounds and since then we've battled away and had a couple of wins and not played so well last week. They are difficult things to put your finger on."
Nucifora was more forthright when asked about why his team's try-scoring had dried up after crossing the line 18 times in the first three rounds.
"There are different reasons each week but when you can't maintain possession and put pressure on your opponents you aren't going to score tries. For us last week was about giving away 11 penalties and free kicks in the first half - that's before you drop a ball or make an error.
"With that rate you aren't going to be able to put anything together that is going to open up opportunities for you. That was last week's issue."
Whether they have been fixed remains to be seen. The coach didn't exactly bring out the big stick after the Sydney shambles and has made just three changes. He says this is about letting the players make up for their mistakes.
"They have taken on a lot of responsibility for a performance that they were unhappy with. I suppose all footballers can do is prove themselves the following week - get out on the paddock and fix it up. So we have a fairly determined bunch there this week. Let's wait and see what they produce," he said.
Nucifora is clinging to the hope that his talented squad can find their scoring touch to stay in touch with the Crusaders and Sharks on the points table. He's adamant that's not far away.
"For us it's a lot to do about confidence ... there are fine margins that work in this job, this game. We know we aren't a long way off it, we know what we are capable of, we know how well we played at the start of the year.
"We have just got to keep persevering. We have worked hard in a few areas of our game and we think it will turn around this weekend.
"I think the important thing is you can see how tight this competition is ... bar the Crusaders having got out to a good lead, everyone else is quite compressed.
"Teams go through good weeks and bad weeks and we're hoping we can get a good confidence-boosting win this week and get ourselves back on track."
The struggles of his old Brumbies side haven't been lost on Nucifora although this has been a week for a more inward focus from the Blues. There has been no lack of soul-searching although whether they have the answers remains to be seen.
"This is probably their last roll of the dice I suppose from a points point of view. So they will be throwing everything at us," he says of the Brumbies.
"But I think this week's really been more about us and getting our own house in order and that certainly been our focus."
Blues-Brumbies matches are usually entertaining affairs and despite the problems of both teams this promises nothing different - one team needs to break loose and there will be no lack of urgency.
Brumbies skipper Stirling Mortlock has been talking up his team's chances, saying that the Waratahs had provided the blueprint for how to rattle the Blues. The men from the Australian capital promise to follow suit.
But Mortlock appears quick to dismiss his own side's poor form. His 100th match for the Brumbies last week was completely upstaged by the Chiefs who ran away with a 42-28 win, scoring the most points by any Super rugby side to visit Canberra.
That was hardly the dress rehearsal the Brumbies needed for a trip to Eden Park that has been a traditional graveyard for them.
Deep down the Brumbies might be even more bemused than the Blues by their form slump.
As Nucifora says, it's dicey times for the Brumbies. But he also knows that with the bye to follow this encounter, another loss for the Blues right now would be an absolute disaster.
