Saturday, 27 February 2021:

MACK HANSEN.

The Brumbies have consigned the NSW Waratahs to their second record loss in as many weeks with a 61-10 Super Rugby AU stampede in Canberra.

The hosts crossed nine times in the rout, winger Mack Hansen notching a hat-trick as the Brumbies alternated between punishing the Waratahs through the middle and out wide.

The result brought up the Brumbies' biggest-ever win against any Australian opponent in Super Rugby.

It continued the Waratahs' sorry start to the season after the Queensland Reds last week registered their own Super Rugby record with a 41-7 win over Rob Penney's side.

Big incomers for an otherwise depleted side, backrower Lachie Swinton and inside centre Tepai Moeroa did their best to crash and bash around the ruck.

But there was little go-forward to show for it and loose carries as they looked to spread the ball hurt the visitors, Rob Valenti's barge-over try starting the rot seven minutes in after a costly Moeroa knock-on.

The relentless Brumbies' scrum and lineout dominated and they had the Waratahs scrambling when they looked to run.

"That was a tough one to take; you can't just make that many errors and expect to come close," captain Alex Newsome said.

"I'd be scratching my head (to think of positives); every time we put ourselves in good position to attack we'd drop the ball or our discipline let us down."

Hansen benefited on three occasions while five-eighth Noah Lolesio got his hands dirty to finish a rolling maul and outside centre Len Ikitau was a constant threat.

The Waratahs did manage to stifle things briefly, hitting back through Harry Johnson-Holmes for a 19-10 scoreline then threatening to cross again as halftime beckoned.

But the Brumbies were having none of it, hooker Connal McInerney scoring with the last play of the half and No.9 Nic White streaking through early in the second stanza for a 33-10 lead.

Poor defensive reads kept hurting the Waratahs and the rolling maul was too hard to resist for the hosts as replacement hooker Lachlan Lonergan queued up for a try of his own.

Hansen cruised in for his hat-trick with 10 minutes to play before fullback Tom Banks plucked an intercept pass then finished the sequence minutes later to put the icing on the Brumbies' biggest-ever win over the Waratahs in Super Rugby.

"It was all set up from the boys in the set piece but he's carrying on a bit out there but good to see," Brumbies skipper Allan Alaalatoa said.

"We can't fall in love with ourselves, have to review hard and make sure we continue to grow and build this momentum into next week."

It mounts further pressure on a young Waratahs outfit set to play the Western Force in Parramatta next week still without injured captain Jake Gordon and centre Joey Walton as well as the suspended Izaia Perese.

AAP