The Brumbies inflicted more Australian misery on the Cats with a 64-16 Super 12 hammering at Canberra Stadium.

The Cats have never won in Australia and had managed to score just 17 points in their previous four visits to Canberra. And although the Brumbies made a slow start it soon became clear the Cats' record in Australia was not going to improve.

The Brumbies led 23-9 at the break and made it look way too easy to go on for a 10-tries-to-one victory. It gets more embarrassing for the Cats considering Stirling Mortlock landed just six from 14 attempts with the boot.

One of the few Brumbies not to feature among the tries was their best with winger Graeme Bond having an exceptional game.

The Brumbies were stretching the Cats defence from one side of the field to the other with their expansive play in the early stages, but they had to wait until the 29th minute before Pat Howard crossed for the first try. From there, the floodgates opened.

Flankers Owen Finegan and George Smith crossed before half-time and a second-half pummelling loomed with the Bulls pack showing obvious signs of fatigue.

While the Brumbies controlled the opening 40 minutes, the first-half was also dominated by problems at the scrum engagements with the Cats giving away a series of free kicks, denying them of one of their strengths at the set play.

And while the Cats were struggling to keep up with 15 men, things quickly got worse in the second-half when lock Willem Stoltz was sin-binned for a high tackle one minute after the break.

The Brumbies crossed for three tries while Stoltz was sidelined with the Cats having no answer to the Brumbies' lightning counter-attacks, the speed of their delivery at the breakdown and support play.

Finegan is unlikely to score an easier try when the Cats threw a lineout ball straight to him 10m from their own line, while hooker Jeremy Paul's try in the 49th minute was a Brumbies special that originated in their quarter.

But the Brumbies will go away displeased with their efforts after dominating so handsomely, only to let Cats boom centre Gcobani Bobo in for an easy try in the 61st minute after some sustained opposition pressure.

Not surprisingly the Brumbies quickly replied with another stunning team try to winger Mark Bartholomeusz as things continued to get worse for the Cats with prop Willie Meyer getting sent to the sin-bin.

Stephen Larkham celebrated a new contract with the Australian Rugby Union with a try with Meyer barely off the field. Prop Bill Young then epitomised the dominance of the Brumbies attack when he masqueraded as a centre to evade several tacklers and finish off a sweeping backline move to score his first Super 12 try.

No sooner was Meyer back on when he was quickly in trouble again with the referee pulling out the red card and sending him off in the final stages.

The Brumbies next meet the Sharks in a repeat of last year's final at Canberra Stadium, while the Cats can look forward to Carisbrook and the House of Pain to meet the Highlanders, who earlier tonight trounced the Sharks 45-5.

Scoreboard

ACT BRUMBIES 64
Tries: Pat Howard, Owen Finegan 2, George Smith, Stirling Mortlock, Jeremy Paul, Tim Atkinson, Mark Bartholomeusz, Stephen Larkham, Bill Young.
Goals: Mortlock 2 pens, 4 cons.

CATS 16
Tries: Gcobani Bobo.
Goals: Louis Koen 3 pens, con.