Tevita Kuridrani received a yellow card on a disappointing night for the Brumbies © Getty Images

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Matches: New South Wales Waratahs 28 - 22 Brumbies

Teams: Brumbies

The Brumbies remain in control of their own Super Rugby destiny despite Saturday's 28-22 loss to New South Wales Waratahs, Rugby World Cup-winning coach Jake White says.

Consecutive defeats by the Crusaders and the Waratahs have dislodged the men from Canberra from the top of the competition ladder for the first time in several weeks. They remain top of the Australian conference on 46 points, two clear of Queensland Reds, who are guaranteed four points from a bye in round 17, and eight points ahead of the resurgent Waratahs, who have won their past three matches.

The Brumbies play the Blues, Hurricanes, Melbourne Rebels and Western Force on the run home, while the Reds face the Stormers, Rebels and Waratahs; the Waratahs face the Rebels, Crusaders, Force and Reds in their final four fixtures.

"I still think we can still control our own destiny; we've still got enough games left to make the play-offs," White said. "It would be easier if we'd got a result ... but I think at the end of the day there's still a lot of rugby to be played. The Waratahs have still got to play the Reds ... so there's a lot of rugby that can obviously knock teams out and peg them back a bit in terms of results over the next couple of weeks."

White blamed minor lapses in concentration for the tight loss to the Waratahs in a brutal derby at ANZ Stadium on Saturday. "I suppose when you're six points ahead like that [it's disappointing], and we'd kept them out in the first half and defended really well," White said. "But credit to them, they scored three tries in the second half and that's the thing that [hurts]. It's not only the loss but the fact that we leaked three tries in that second half."

Waratahs coach Michael Cheika praised his players' resolve after overturning a six-point deficit twice to score their first victory over the Brumbies in four matches.

"I think we stuck to our strategy in the second half," Cheika said. "In the first half, we couldn't get to where we wanted to be on the field to attack because they were just coming up so hard in defence. They lit a fire underneath [Brendan] McKibbin; he couldn't get the ball away and they were living right on the edge [of the offside rule]. Once we were able to change our shape in the second half, we were able to get to those places and find some gaps."