Hurricanes' 'washing machine' spins out busted Brumbies

A record onslaught has sunk the ACT Brumbies as the Hurricanes emphatically extended Australian misery in New Zealand Super Rugby finals games.

The top-placed Hurricanes won Friday's Super Rugby Pacific qualifying final 66-12, scoring five tries before the break to quickly snuff out the prospect of a hoodoo-busting effort from Stephen Larkham's men.

They led 31-0 before going to the break ahead 38-7 and remaining ruthless enough to inflict the biggest finals defeat on an Australian team in competition history.

It was more points than the Brumbies had ever conceded in a first half and a record score from the Hurricanes against their rivals, as the hosts clinically ended a Brumbies season that began with promise before slowly withering in a sixth-place finish.

The Brumbies had won four of their previous six games in New Zealand and beaten the Hurricanes in their past three post-season match-ups.

It offered some hope that, finally, after 21 attempts, an Australian team could win a Super Rugby finals game in New Zealand.

But on a wet, windy, cold Wellington night they were never in the hunt, left to rue a handful of early errors that sent the hosts on their way.

"Very impressive from the Hurricanes; they had to withstand our pressure at the start of the game, then capitalised on opportunities and then things started to fall apart, and by halftime the game was over," Larkham said.

"Too many fundamentals of our game were not consistent."

Trapped on their own goal line in the opening minutes, the Hurricanes somehow got out of the in-goal area to avoid a five-metre scrum, kicked clear and then swooped on a Brumbies fumble to score a long-range opener.

Tries came thick and fast, and they were going at a point a minute when lock Warner Dearns slid over to make it 31-0.

With All Blacks No. 10 hopeful Ruben Love pulling the strings, the Hurricanes' right-side attack terrorised the Brumbies.

Centre Jordie Barrett was evasive, and halfback Cam Roigard added to that with slick play back inside that netted him two tries.

Replacement winger Ngane Punivai scored a second-half hat-trick, Love (nine conversions, one penalty) staying perfect off the tee with a sideline conversion with 90 seconds to play.

The Brumbies were clunky in attack, and while halfback Ryan Lonergan tried hard, he often watched his flat-footed men reach for passes they could only get a finger to.

Fullback Tom Wright, who likened the experience to being put in the Hurricanes' "washing machine", showed glimpses of his best to break tackles and create some momentum in an encouraging sign ahead of next month's trio of Wallabies Tests.

The Brumbies were 3-0 against New Zealand teams earlier this season, including a rousing runaway defeat of the Crusaders in Christchurch.

But the wheels fell off, with a final-round loss to Moana Pasifika, who'd won just one game all season, pushing them down to sixth and setting up a date with the irresistible Hurricanes.

"It's been an inconsistent season for us, to say the least," a typically understated Larkham said.

"It's a younger group, but there's no excuses, and what we take out of this is a really good understanding of what it takes."

It leaves the Queensland Reds, who remained in fifth thanks to the Brumbies' lapse against Pasifika, to face the Chiefs - and history - head-on in Hamilton in Saturday's third qualifying final.