Desperate Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore's hopes of playing in the Brumbies' make-or-break Super 14 clash with the Chiefs rest on a final training run in Hamilton.

Moore has been given a strong chance of returning from a hamstring strain to line up in the crucial final-round encounter at Waikato Stadium on Friday night but has still been bracketed with back-up Huia Edmonds.

The 34-Test rake missed training on Wednesday afternoon after flying into New Zealand a day later than his teammates after undergoing a special injection in his back.

Moore was told to wait more than 24 hours before travelling after having the needle and was in transit from Auckland when the Brumbies prepared in murky weather conditions.

If fit, the key set-piece marshall will be one of three changes to the team which kept their semi-final chances alive with a 37-15 win over the Blues on Saturday night.

Moore was a late withdrawal after failing to come up on the day of the match but coach Andy Friend was confident he would prove his fitness at Thursday's captain's run.

While Moore is Australia's best rake and extremely important to the Brumbies hopes, Edmonds was impressive in his one-off chance against the Blues.

Moore has been tentatively recalled along with back-rower Julian Salvi and former Wallabies winger Clyde Rathbone who will mark NZ flyer Sitiveni Sivivatu.

"These make-or-break matches are the ones players love to be a part of," Friend said.

"This is a great opportunity for Clyde after what has been a disrupted year with injury, but he has the experience in these big games and he knows what it takes to get the result."

Salvi replaces Mitch Chapman (concussion) at blind-side flanker while the loss of Gene Fairbanks (hamstring) has seen a midfield reshuffle allowing Test captain Stirling Mortlock to return to his preferred outside centre role.

The Brumbies challenge - to ensure they book a first play-off berth since 2004 by earning a four-try bonus point victory and deny the Chiefs a bonus point of their own - has been made even tougher with All Blacks halfback Brendon Leonard returning from injury.

Leonard missed the second-placed Chiefs' past three rounds with a sternum injury and Friend expects the in-form Waikato side to be even more difficult to overcome with him calling the shots.

"I think he is a very special player," Friend said. "I think he is the best No.9 running around in New Zealand.

"He's a real attacking player and a good organiser and he's a big halfback so defensively he's sound as well."

Leonard is one of two Chiefs changes from the team which beat the Hurricanes 16-8 last weekend with mobile prop James McGougan selected at tight-head in a front-row shuffle.

All Black centre Richard Kahui was cleared of a bruised calf against the Hurricanes.

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