Super Rugby round-up: Champions Waikato Chiefs ran in six tries in an ultimately convincing 38-8 victory over South Africa's Lions in Hamilton on Saturday to get back to winning ways after two successive defeats.

Three tries in five minutes around half-time blew open what had been a relatively even contest with prop Pauliasi Manu securing the bonus point when he bulldozed over two minutes after the break.

Backs Bundee Aki and Tim Nanai-Williams crossed in the last 10 minutes to put a gloss on the result.

The Lions scored a well-worked try through winger Courtnall Skosan after 46 minutes but played too much rugby in their own half in falling to a fourth straight defeat, their good start to the season now a fading memory.

The Chiefs stayed on top of the New Zealand standings after New South Wales Waratahs brought a shuddering halt to the Wellington Hurricanes' revival and gave a massive boost to their own play-off hopes with a 39-30 victory in a thriller in Sydney.

The Hurricanes had won their last four matches to move to the top of the New Zealand conference but were outscored five tries to three by the hosts, who moved to within a point of the ACT Brumbies at the top of the Australian standings.

In a breathless first half rich with attacking rugby, the Waratahs scored the first try in the second minute then gave up three tries and a penalty to trail 24-7 before battling back to even up the scores at 24-24.

The second half could only be a tighter affair and Waratahs tries from winger Matt Carraro, making his first Super Rugby start in five years, and loose forward Stephen Hoiles proved enough for the bonus point victory.