SYDNEY, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Winger Mack Hansen scored a hat-trick of tries as the ruthless ACT Brumbies romped to a record 61-10 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby AU in Canberra on Saturday.
The defending champions ran in nine tries in all to make it two wins out of two for the season and extend their winning streak at their Canberra Stadium fortress to seven matches.
It was a second record defeat for the hapless Waratahs in successive weeks after the 41-7 loss to the Queensland Reds in their season-opener.
Flanker Rob Valetini, flyhalf Noah Lolesio and hooker Connal McInerney crossed in addition to Hansen to help the Brumbies to a 26-10 lead at the break.
Two more for Hansen after the break were supplemented by scores for scrumhalf Nic White, replacement hooker Lachlan Lonergan and fullback Tom Banks to give the Brumbies a seventh successive win over the Waratahs.
"That was great. The best part about it was putting on a good performance for our home crowd," said Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa.
The visitors lacked nothing in effort or fight but looked like a desperate rabble when compared to the efficiency and cohesiveness of their hosts.
Prop Harry Johnson-Holmes got over the line for the Waratahs in the 30th minute but there was no disguising the lack of quality in a team which has lost the services of more than 15 internationals over the last couple of years.
"That was a tough one to take," said Waratahs captain Alex Newsome. "We just can't make that many errors and expect to compete with the Brumbies."
It was the biggest winning margin and highest score for the Brumbies in 38 Super Rugby matches against the Waratahs going back to 1996.