The Brumbies are targeting some Australian scalps as they play for pride and Wallaby selection prospects after finishing a fruitless Super Rugby overseas campaign with a 34-16 loss to the Sharks in Durban.

Desperate to start well after falling 25-0 behind to the Cheetahs a week earlier, the Brumbies led 13-0 early and 16-6 at half-time.

However, they got the back-end horribly wrong, outscored 28-0 in the second half at Kings Park on Sunday morning (AEST).

It was the Brumbies' third straight loss and their eighth defeat in 10 games.

For only the second season in their history, the proud Canberra-based franchise failed to win an single game offshore.

They picked up just two bonus points from their four games in New Zealand and South Africa.

While making the finals is beyond them, the Brumbies will use their second round of Australian derby matches as motivation for the remainder of their disappointing campaign.

They finish off with six matches in Australia, playing two South African teams plus each of their domestic rivals once.

"All of the boys are very focused on finishing off the season strongly, particularly against our Australian counterparts," lock Ben Hand told AAP.

Like many of their matches this season, the Brumbies were competitive for much of the time, but paid the price for lapses of concentration and costly turnovers.

Three of the Sharks' four tries originated from turnovers and the fourth came after the Brumbies lost a scrum feed near their own line.

"That's probably been the biggest downfall this season," Hand said.

"We can match it with the best teams in the competition, but then short lapses in concentration end up costing matches."

Captain and five-eighth Matt Giteau kicked two penalties and converted an excellent long distance breakout try to inside centre and man-of-the match Christian Lealiifano to put the Brumbies 13-0 up.

They played some of their best rugby of the season, but the home team gradually got on top in the forward battle.

Sharks five-eighth Patrick Lambie kicked two penalties to cut the deficit to seven points.

Brumbies' prop Jono Owen, who was making his first Super start, was dragged in the 29th minute after conceding the second of those penalties for a scrum infringement.

Giteau secured a 10-point half-time lead for the visitors with his third penalty.

The Sharks hit the front after scoring two converted tries to winger JP Pietersen and lock Steven Sykes.

Replacements Adrian Jacobs and Anton Bresler also crossed to secure a bonus point for the fifth-placed Sharks.

The Brumbies failed to convert some chances in the second half.

"We brought physicality and intensity, unfortunately the second half, we just dropped off, and the Sharks lifted," Giteau said.

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