Talking points: Second-half thrashing puts Brumbies back on top

The Brumbies recorded their eighth consecutive Australian derby win at Canberra Stadium on Saturday, beating the Waratahs 38-11.

They set an Australian franchise record of a 10^th Super Rugby win in a calendar year for the sixth time.

With only two rounds left of the regular Super Rugby AU season, the victory puts them on the cusp of hosting the grand final.

Under the new domestic format, the minor premiership will directly advance and host the title decider on September 19. The second and third placed teams play-off the weekend prior.

The Brumbies sit two points clear of the Queensland Reds with a match in hand, with Brad Thorn's side to serve their bye next week.

A victory over the winless Western Force at Canberra Stadium on Friday would all but secure the Brumbies' ticket to the final.

Whether it was by a metre or a mile, scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan was well offside when he went over to score the Brumbies' opening try.

Lonergan chased down a kick-through from player Bayley Kuenzle in the 15^th minute to draw first blood, but clearly started his run from an off-side position.

The 22-year-old scrumhalf was a metre-or-so in front of Kuenzle when the kick-chase began and somehow survived the video referee.

Angus Gardner's on-field decision was try but asked the video referee to check the grounding and whether Lonergan's kick-chase was onside.

The grounding was deemed good but, to the Waratahs' dismay, the TMO said there was no clear offside to overrule the decision.

Lonergan went to on convert his own try, giving the Brumbies an early seven-point lead.

Playmaker Noah Lolesio took his first step towards making his Super Rugby AU comeback by running the waters for the Brumbies.

Lolesio suffered a serious hamstring injury last time the Brumbies met the Waratahs, keeping him sidelined since the round-three victory.

There are three rounds left in the regular season and Lolesio is hopeful of returning ahead of finals.

The 20-year-old flyhalf has been running at Brumbies training and told Fox Sports he's edging closer to a comeback.

"Ticking boxes day to day now, two to three weeks," Lolesio said.

"I'm just going to treat it well, don't rush it, but hopefully towards the back end of the season."

Surely there's no other rugby team in the world that plays through smoke, extreme heat, sub-zero temperatures and snow.

Oh, and throw in a pandemic of course.

Flurries fell over Canberra Stadium as the Brumbies were welcomed home on the capital's coldest day in four years.

The Brumbies and Waratahs did their warm-up as a shower of light flurries fell, creating slippery conditions for the round-eight clash.

It was a chilly four degrees at kick-off and the skies cleared - so a potential repeat of the Canberra Raiders' famous snow clash with the Wests Tigers did not come to be.

AT A GLANCE

Super Rugby AU round eight: ACT BRUMBIES (Tom Wright 2, Pete Samu 2, Ryan Lonergan, Andy Muirhead tries; Lonergan 2, Bayley Kuenzle 2 conversions) v NSW WARATAHS (Jack Dempsey try; Will Harrison 2 penalties) at Canberra Stadium. Referee: Angus Gardner.