June 5 (Reuters) - Ngane Punivai came off the bench to score a hat-trick of second-half tries as the Wellington Hurricanes put on a wet weather masterclass to storm into the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals with a record 66-12 demolition of the ACT Brumbies on Friday.
Unbeaten in the New Zealand capital this season, the table-topping Hurricanes ran over nine tries as they embarrassed the team that knocked them out of the playoffs in three of the last four seasons in Canberra.
"There's been a bit of history, us and the Brumbies. And we've been on the other side of it," said scrumhalf Cam Roigard, who scored two first-half tries.
"So, it was personal for us this week. Really proud of the boys, it was an 80-minute performance."
Substitute winger Punivai capped the win, touching down on the hour-mark and twice more in the last 10 minutes as the hosts eliminated the Brumbies and claimed the biggest Super Rugby playoffs win over an Australian team.
Lock Warner Dearns also grabbed a brace of tries for the hosts, while Caleb Delany and Billy Proctor crossed once each in the first half.
Hurricanes flyhalf Ruben Love was perfect off the tee, converting all nine tries along with a first-half penalty.
The Hurricanes earned the right to host the semi-final against the highest-placed loser of the weekend's qualifying finals.
The defending champions Canterbury Crusaders host the Auckland Blues in Christchurch on Saturday before the Waikato Chiefs look to knock out the last Australian team in the playoffs when they meet the Queensland Reds in Hamilton.
Despite filthy conditions at Wellington Regional Stadium, the Hurricanes racked up four unanswered tries by just after the half-hour mark and went to the break 38-7 ahead.
The shell-shocked Brumbies could barely string phases together but finally got on the scoreboard after 35 minutes with a try to winger Corey Toole, set up by a clever chip by scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan over the Hurricanes' line.
Lonergan's opposing number nine Roigard answered immediately with his second try, though, touching down under the posts after bursting out of a ruck a few metres out.
While completely outclassed, the Brumbies rallied briefly after the break as replacement flyhalf Tane Edmed completed a splendid team try.
The revival petered out quickly, though, as fresh legs off the bench re-energised the Hurricanes, and Punivai blew out the score to the delight of their rain-soaked supporters.
The Brumbies' loss stretched Australia's winless record in playoffs in New Zealand to 22 matches.
"They probably showed their class tonight," Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa said of the Hurricanes.
"There were plenty of good moments for us but we didn't capitalise on them through our accuracy, our breakdown or our set piece."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
