Don't expect a repeat of Saturday's points-fest.

That was the message from Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie who has predicted more of an arm wrestle between NSW and Queensland when they square off for Friday's Super 12 grudge match at Aussie Stadium.

The Waratahs piled on five tries in a dominant display over the Highlanders at the weekend and have been the bonus points kings in 2005, registering eight extra points in their nine games.

But McKenzie thought tries would probably be at a premium against the struggling Reds.

"As much as everyone likes to think there is going to be big scorelines in derbies it just doesn't generally happen," he said.

"You just have to look back to the Brumbies game - that was a fairly tight game on the scoreboard and a tight game in the way it was played.

"The fact that both teams have vast knowledge of each other's individual strengths and weaknesses and things like that there's definitely familiarity there that probably leads it to be a closer game than anything else."

Statistics - other than showing the Reds have never lost a Super 12 match against NSW - suggest otherwise.

A healthy average of 42 points have been scored in their nine matches since 1996 with last year's 23-7 Reds' win being the lowest cumulative points score since the inaugural fixture.

The Waratahs had a training-free day on Monday and McKenzie said there were several players carrying "residual injuries" but everyone would be OK for the Reds match.

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