MELBOURNE: Two-time champions ACT Brumbies mauled the hapless Queensland Reds to go top of Super Rugby this weekend as the Waikato Chiefs ended the Western Stormers' winning start to the season.
The Wellington Hurricanes remain the only unbeaten team this season and lie two points behind the Brumbies after downing the Auckland Blues 30-23 in the New Zealand derby.
The Otago Highlanders came from behind to beat defending champions NSW Waratahs 26-19 in Dunedin to climb into the top six where they were joined by South Africa's Coastal Sharks.
The Durban-based Sharks had a 27-10 away win over the Central Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
The Northern Bulls, who had a bye this weekend, are one of three teams outside the top six on 10 points along with the Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels, who hung on for a 21-17 win over Western Force in Perth.
Seven-time champions Canterbury Crusaders thumped South Africa's Golden Lions 34-6 in Christchurch to get their season back on track.
The Brumbies humbled the Reds 29-0 in Brisbane to underline their claims as the leading Australian title contender this season.
It was the second time in two months the Brumbies have kept the troubled Reds try-less, with the overall tally now 76-3 in the Brumbies favour this season.
The beleaguered Reds showed plenty of heart but were blown away by the well-drilled Brumbies, who scored five tries, including a double for Wallabies front-rower Ben Alexander.
"You've got to beat the teams from your conference to get through to the finals and we certainly put in enough to keep our rhythm together tonight against the Reds," Brumbies head coach Stephen Larkham said.
Blockbusting winger Julian Savea scored two tries as the Hurricanes downed the Blues to make their best-ever start to a Super Rugby season.
The Hurricanes ran in four tries to two, making it four wins from four this season, in an open game of rugby in which the lead changed four times.
The result left the Blues winless after five games in 2015, heaping further pressure on coach John Kirwan after their worst start ever.
- Coetzee tops list -
All Blacks fly-half Aaron Cruden contributed 18 points as the Chiefs fought back to defeat the Stormers 28-19 in Cape Town.
Cruden scored the first of Chiefs' three tries and kicked two conversions and three penalties from seven shots at goal.
It was the Stormers first defeat of the season after four victories.
The unheralded Highlanders earned a bonus point in their come-from-behind victory over the Waratahs.
A week after they rallied late to beat the highly-rated Chiefs, the Highlanders put the squeeze on the Sydneysiders with two tries on either side of half-time.
Sharks loose forward Marcell Coetzee became the joint leading Super 15 try-scorer this season with a brace in the win over the Cheetahs.
The Springbok flanker has bagged four tries in five matches -- the same number as Hurricanes' All Black wing Savea.
The Rebels had a hard-fought win over struggling Australian rivals Western Force, taking advantage of another slow Force start to open up a 15-point lead before hanging on to win for the sixth time in their last seven clashes.
The four tries equalled the total number they had scored in their first three games, when they suffered two losses in yet another slow start to the season.
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