Matt Giteau says the Brumbies Super rugby clash with an equally out of sorts Waratahs side in Canberra on Saturday is a battle between two hurting and desperate teams.

The Brumbies have lost three in a row and are coming off a bye following a 52-10 mauling by the Crusaders in Nelson.

The Waratahs also crashed 33-18 to the Crusaders in Nelson and suffered an even more embarrassing loss at home to the Cheetahs last weekend.

"It's been a long wait to play again since the Crusaders game, we were obviously hurting after that game and I think the Waratahs will be doing exactly the same, they would be hurting after their Cheetahs performance," Giteau said on Tuesday.

"It means it's going to be a bit tougher (on Saturday), they are going to be pretty desperate as we will be as well."

Like The Waratahs, the Brumbies underwent a thorough and candid self-analysis session.

"Everyone put their hands up, we all admitted that we needed to be better as a side, individually we all need to be better," Giteau said.

Asked if pressure was building on the side as their losing streak mounted, Giteau said "not really".

"There may be external pressure but each week whether you are winning or losing, you put pressure on yourself to perform each week and this game is no different.

"Obviously playing the Waratahs there's fierce rivalry there so we know that we need to perform, more so to stay in the competition, not really for any external pressures."

Giteau, who said he would probably remain at five-eighth this week despite speculation he would move to inside centre, declared he was "pretty happy" with his own early season form.

Motivation on Saturday clearly won't be a problem for the Brumbies.

"If you can't get up for Waratah week, I don't think you can get up for any game," said halfback Josh Valentine, one of several former Waratahs in the Brumbies squad.

"NSW and ACT have got a great history and I guess you can't get too personal otherwise you'll just take it individually and take the game into your own hands, which will deter from the fact that we need a big team performance."

Troubled by a lingering injury for the past couple of weeks before the bye, Valentine said the break had freshened him up.

He said the Brumbies had ramped up their contact work in a bid to improve their defence following their thrashing by the Crusaders.

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