The Stormers, led by Springboks' flanker Schalk Burger, ruthlessly dismantled the Chiefs with a simple and perfectly executed game plan that produced six tries, all of which were the result of superb interplay between backs and forward.

The victory moved the Stormers to the top of the table with 33 points. Fellow South African side the Bulls also have 33 points and play the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Saturday.

"We lost to the Force (two weeks ago) and we have really cocentrated on our accuracy and structure and we have really pitched up," Burger said in a televised interview.

The Stormers raced to a 20-3 lead courtesy of two Peter Grant penalties and converted tries to Bryan Habana, who finished off a sweeping move from deep inside his own half, and Duane Vermuelen, who crossed after fullback Gio Aplon's 40-meter burst.

The Chiefs managed to fight back in the final 10 minutes of the first half and were rewarded when No.  8 Sione Lauaki burst away from a backpedalling scrum and fed openside flanker Tanerau Latimer, who scored under the posts.

Stephen Donald converted Latimer's try to add to his earlier penalty and reduced the deficit to 20-10 at the break.

However, the Stormers did not let the Chiefs build more momentum and hooker Tiaan Liebenberg crossed three minutes after the break following superb rampaging bursts by lock Andries Bekker and Burger.

Winger Sireli Naqelevuki secured the bonus point with the team's fourth try, while Bekker scored the fifth to put the game beyond any doubt after a superb rolling maul.

Waikato fullback Tim Nanai-Williams scored a well-deserved individual consolation try before replacement hooker Deon Fourie rubbed salt into the Chiefs' wounds when he pounced on a dropped ball to score virtually unopposed.

"It was a tough night. The Stormers were on fire and we had no answer," Chiefs captain Liam Messam said.

"The Stormers just kept coming at us and ... they're a very good side." 
 

In Sydney, the Wellington Hurricanes kept their slim Super 14 semifinal chances alive with an improbable 23-13 victory over the ACT Brumbies in their Super 14 match in Canberra on Friday.

The Brumbies completely dominated possession and territory, while Hurricanes flyhalf Aaron Cruden missed three kickable penalties for the visitors, who stayed in the game through superb defense and far too many handling errors from the Brumbies.

The Hurricanes were also heavily penalized early on by referee Jonathan Kaplan, with flanker Nick Crosswell and scrumhalf Tyson Keats both spending 10 minutes in the sinbin to leave them with 14 men for 20 minutes of the first half.

The Hurricanes' defense, however, managed to withstand wave after wave of Brumbies' attack while a man down, with the home side able to score only a try to scrumhalf Patrick Phibbs when Keats was off the field.

"We were pretty lucky to still be in the game at halftime," Hurricanes captain Andrew Hore said in a televised interview.

"We defended pretty well and had 14 men for 20 minutes so the message at halftime was to get out there and have some fun because we had nothing to lose, and I'm pretty happy with that."   Cruden slotted his second penalty early in the second half then converted center Conrad Smith's 51st minute try to give the Hurricanes a 13-5 lead before Australia flyhalf Matt Giteau scored his side's second try.

Kaplan then sinbinned his third player when replacement Brumbies' hooker Huia Edmonds was shown a yellow card for a tackle indiscretion in the 64th minute and Cruden slotted his third penalty, though Giteau replied three minutes later.

Hurricanes flanker Victor Vito then pounced on a loose ball from a knockdown of a Tamati Ellison pass by Adam Ashley-Cooper and sprinted over for an opportunist try to give the Hurricanes the 23-13 lead with six minutes remaining.