The Brumbies conceded eight tries to the awesome Wellington Hurricanes and scored only one themselves on their way to a record 56-7 defeat.

On a dire night for the club:

The 56 points scored by the Hurricanes was the most any team has managed against the Brumbies, eclipsing the 49 points the same team piled on in 2005.

The 49-point losing margin was the biggest against the Brumbies, overtaking the 34-point loss to the NSW Waratahs in 1996.

The 56-7 scoreline was the highest score the Hurricanes have managed against any Australian Super rugby side and was the first time they had won three successive contests against the Brumbies.

Last night's result brought the Brumbies' surge to the Super14 finals to a screeching halt, yet didn't extinguish it completely.

The loss left the Brumbies languishing in eighth position on the competition ladder but they would have dropped to ninth if the Canterbury Crusaders defeated the Free State Cheetahs overnight.

Irrespective of results in the overnight matches, they will be four points adrift of the fourth-placed team this morning, with three weeks remaining.

The Brumbies play the Queensland Reds, Auckland Blues and Waikato Chiefs to complete the home-and-away season.

While they remain a mathematical chance of playing finals rugby, the play-offs couldn't have been further from the players' minds after last night's debacle. Instead, seeking answers to the diabolical display they produced at Wellington's Westpac Stadium was more at the forefront of the team's thinking.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times