The NSW Waratahs’ season is hanging by a thread after being smashed by the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night.

Not even some brilliance from Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii could save the Waratahs, who went down 40-17.

After being upset up the Hume Highway earlier in the year by the Waratahs and, indeed, a week earlier by the Hurricanes at home, the Brumbies put a stake in the ground on Election Night in Australia by cutting their opponents to shreds.

Billy Pollard was outstanding, with the in-form hooker scoring twice.

Winger Corey Toole got a double too, but the speedy outside back benefitted from a side that won every area, and a backline where Tom Wright rediscovered his mojo.

Billy Pollard scored a double in the Brumbies’ big win over the Waratahs in Canberra on May 03, 2025. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

The 23-point win reignited the Brumbies’ (34) hopes of a top two finish, moving them within a game of the Chiefs and Crusaders (both 37). It also gave them a six-point buffer over the fourth-placed Reds.

The satisfaction from the Brumbies’ camp won’t be shared by the Waratahs, whose season is spiralling out of control a month out from the finals.