The NSW Waratahs consolidated their Super 14 finals hopes with another ugly win while the inconsistent Brumbies and Western Force resurrected their seasons with uplifting bonus-point wins.

But perennial strugglers Queensland could only see red in an otherwise positive weekend for Australian teams.

After local teams won just one of six matches in the previous two weeks, round eight provided plenty of joy and hope Down Under.

NSW sit equal second on the ladder after an 11th straight Sydney Football Stadium win, albeit a scrappy 12-6 victory over the Stormers, earned through two scintillating Lachie Turner tries.

It came after the Force stayed afloat with a clinical 39-7 thumping of the impatient, bumbling Reds in Perth on Friday night, moving to 10th on 17 points - six outside the top four.

The Brumbies followed suit early Sunday morning (AEST) with fullback Mark Gerrard inspiring a 40-27 triumph over the winless Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

The four-tries-to-three win ended a terrible African safari on a high as the men from Canberra jumped to equal seventh on 18 points.

They fly out of the Republic on Sunday without reserve forward Shawn Mackay who will stay in a Durban hospital after undergoing spinal surgery following a car accident last week.

The Brumbies may also be without Wallabies lock Mark Chisholm for their home match against the Stormers on Saturday after he sustained a suspected broken wrist in the first half.

Locked in a tight battle at 13-all at half-time, the Brumbies broke clear when Gerrard scored a superb solo try by chipping ahead from inside his own half and then toeing ahead again and again to score.

While pleased to bounce back after two losses on the road, Gerrard and coach Andy Friend said the Brumbies must put their "patchy" form behind them to produce consistent 80-minute performances.

Force coach John Mitchell also warned not to count the Perth team out of finals reckoning following their five-tries-to-one thumping of Queensland in front of their lowest-ever crowd of 15,724.

A true gauge of their credentials will come on Good Friday when they meet the sixth-placed Hurricanes at Subiaco Oval.

The Hurricanes drew to within six points late in their loss to the competition-leading Sharks in Durban on Sunday morning before falling 33-17.

After defeats by the Stormers, Cheetahs, Bulls and Lions, the Sharks ensured there was at least one South African victory in round eight by scoring 20 unanswered points to rally from 10-3 down.

Queensland are almost certain to be without veteran hooker Sean Hardman (knee) for their trip to Invercargill to play the Highlanders when they attempt to break a 19-match drought on the road.

The Reds will be helped on Saturday by the return of prop Greg Holmes (shoulder), and wingers Peter Hynes (knee) and Brando Va'aulu (hamstring).

The Waratahs were hailed as the real deal by Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus after their unconvincing win but have another tough test when they host a Bulls side smarting from successive losses in NZ.

Defending champions Crusaders showed they weren't a spent force with a 16-13 upset of the fourth-placed Bulls that propelled them to fifth.

The Waikato-based Chiefs are joint second after fighting back from 19-point deficit to beat the Lions 36-29.

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