Defence coach Cory Jane said it had been satisfying to play as they had trained. They had wanted to deny the Drua offloads and time. They also achieved the running lines they had prepared.
"That's something we haven't done consistently this year," he said.
"We knew we had to be on our game because, if we didn't get it right, we'd be having conversations in a huddle, and we didn't want to do that so it worked for us."
The Waratahs at home were playing well, and they were hard to beat in Sydney, he said.
Jane was delighted with the performance Super Rugby rookie Josh Moorby had in scoring a hat-trick of tries in the 67-5 win on Sunday.
He been good since joining the side. He understood rugby, and his fitness and game anticipation blended with his desire to get involved.
"He's got an eye for the space, and for the ball. He's playing well at fullback but he can play wing as well," he said.
"It's good to see him get in here and play well. He's had a great season so far."
His form provided the Hurricanes with the flexibility if they needed to play Jordie Barrett at second five-eighths.
Moorby, from Te Awamutu, said it had been a good day for the side, especially after doing their homework, but the score wasn't a reflection of how tough the Drua were to play.
"We love to play with the ball and [play] an exciting brand of footy. We needed to clean up a few mistakes here and there and managed to do that on Sunday and put together a clinical performance," he said.
Moorby said having three seasons with Southland and then a chance to play Super Rugby with the Hurricanes this season was a dream come true. He will play for Northland in the 2022 Bunnings Cup.
Barrett had taken him under his wing from the moment he arrived, and he appreciated the support he received.
Moorby said fullback was his preferred position, something he had developed since his last year at Hamilton Boys' High School.
The win over the Drua was a stepping stone. It gave the Hurricanes a little more to build on against the Waratahs at the weekend.
"It's exciting. They beat the Crusaders and it's a chance to get one up over them," he said.