Brumbies eclipse Waratahs in four-try Super Rugby display

Winger Corey Toole went to the top of the Super Rugby season try-scoring list as the Brumbies outclassed the New South Wales Waratahs 40-16 in Canberra on Saturday.

The home side defied wet conditions to run in four tries and notch their sixth win, with a bonus point lifting them alongside two New Zealand teams - the Hurricanes and Blues - in a three-way tie atop the standings.

The unbeaten Hurricanes have played one game less after sitting out a bye in a reduced seventh round of matches.

The victory marked a notable milestone for Brumbies prop James Slipper, whose 178th appearance is the most by any Australian Super Rugby player.

Slipper and the pack helped the Brumbies grind out a 16-6 halftime lead but they broke clear after the interval through tries to Toole and loose forwards Rob Valetini and Charlie Cale.

Toole's try was a competition-leading seventh for the speedy winger, whose form has him in contention to make a Wallabies debut this year.

Fly-half Noah Lolesio, who landed all his seven shots at goal in an 18-point haul, said the performance was their best of the season to date.

"Every game, every week, we want to be better and better, knowing that the long-term goal is to hopefully make it through to the end," said Lolesio, who kicked often to keep the visitors pinned in their own half.

"My job was to keep the ball in front of the forwards, especially on a night like tonight."

The Waratahs suffered a fifth-straight loss, leaving them alongside the defending champion Crusaders and Western Force as the teams to have notched only one win through seven rounds.

Earlier, the Chiefs cantered over for 10 tries in a 68-12 drubbing of Moana Pasifika in Hamilton to cement fourth place.

Winger Emoni Narawa bagged a hat-trick while fly-half Damian McKenzie landed nine of his 10 conversion attempts as the home side cleared out to the highest winning margin in the competition in more than a year.

It was a third consecutive heavy defeat for Moana, with coach Tana Umaga's team having conceded 175 points in those matches.