UPDATE: The Brumbies have cruised to a 47-14 victory over the Waratahs in the last Super Rugby match for the foreseeable future on Sunday.
Sunday afternoon’s matchup proved to be somewhat of a tonic for an unpredictable and at sometimes grim weekend of events, as fears about the spread of coronavirus forced unprecedented postponements around the world.
The home side relished the chance to put on a show for the 8,167 fans that could make it out there, piling on seven tries to two, including a second-half shutout.
Not everything was perfect for the home side, who lost skipper Allan Alaalatoa to a suspected broken arm in the opening half hour.
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Winger Solomone Kata had a double and Tom Banks was effective in his 50th game, setting up the Brumbies attack with his boot and out of the hand.
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar said the win was a good note on which to head into an uncertain time for Super Rugby after the competition's indefinite suspension.
"There’s a good feel amongst the team, you know when you’re involved in a good football side as a player or coach, you've got that feeling," he said.
"It wassimilar last year and ti’s really exciting.
"WE’ll work hard and make sure we have fun while we’re doing it. Then, we'll come back, be ready to hit the the ground once the comp restarts."
The Waratahs will go into some weeks off with plenty of work to do, still being punished for ill-discipline and dropping off in the second half.
When flanker Jack Dempsey was sent to the bin midway through the second half, NSW were on the wrong end of an 11-1 penalty count, something coach Rob Penney lamented.
"It is what it is," he said.
"There's obviously some things happening we would’ve like to have controlled better.
"You've got to be disciplined against the Brumbies, come down here, you give 11-1 penalty count, you might be able to argue a couple of them but certainly there was a trend there that was allowing the Brumbies to get a lot of ball and monopolise possession particularly in that mid to latter part of the first half.
"That just builds compounding pressure and they’re a good side, they don't let opportunities like that slip by."
Waratahs captain Rob Simmons showed some go-go-gadget arms to break through the Brumbies defence and reach over the line to score.
The Brumbies used their maul to reply in the 18th minute, with Solomone Kata powering over one phase later.
Waratahs winger Mark Nawaqanitawase was awarded a try by the narrowest of margins giving NSW the advantage once again in what was becoming a seesawing opening half.
Kata ran onto a perfectly timed Tom Banks pass to score his double and level things up again.
It was the Brumbies who began to take an advantage, helped by some accurate in-field kicking from Banks, and lock Cadeyrn Neville stormed over in the 34th minute to take the lead for 
the first time.
Halfback Joe Powell scored a superb solo try just after half-time to keep the Brumbies’ momentum going.
Replacement winger Tom Wright made an immediate impact when he came onto the field, scoring a try in the 58th minute to stretch the Brumbies lead out to 19 points.
The Waratahs found themselves a man down at that stage after Jack Dempsey was sent to the bin, giving them an extra large hole to try and dig out of.
Despite their smaller number, it was NSW that mounted some dangerous attack in the final quarter but they couldn’t turn pressure into points.
A growing tally of infringements against the hosts saw Darcy Swain sent off in the 68th minute, opening the door for the Waratahs to get one back.
They couldn’t manage that, though, with the Brumbies stealing a lineout and winning a pivotal turnover to earn their counterattacking chance.
It didn't take long for the ACT side to make that count as winger Tom Wright pounced on an intercept pass to score his second.
Banks iced the match in the 82nd minute, swallowing up an Andy Muirhead offload to make it seven tries for the day.
Both sides were hit with injury blows, Alaalatoa suffering a suspected broken arm and both Kurtley Beale and Karmichael Hunt exiting the game early in the second half, with hamstring and knee concerns, respectively.
RESULT
Brumbies 47
Tries: Kata 2, Wright 2, Neville, Powell, Banks
Cons: Lolesio 3, Lonergan 2
Yellow Cards: Swain
Waratahs 14
Tries: Simmons, Nawaqanitawse
Cons: Harrison 2
Yellow cards: Dempsey
