NSW coach Ewen McKenzie condemned the Cheetahs' "ridiculous" stalling tactics after the Waratahs retained top spot on the Super 14 table with a hard-earned 26-3 victory at Aussie Stadium.

The South Africans frustrated NSW with blatant gamesmanship to limit the usually free-scoring Waratahs to late tries to winger Wendell Sailor and fullback Peter Hewat and four Hewat penalty goals.

In a near-farcical second half Cheetahs dropped like flies and called for on-field treatment from their trainers in deliberate attempts to slow NSW's momentum.

On occasions, three Cheetahs trainers were on the field at the same time tending to players, prompting McKenzie to claim the South Africans had strategically positioned players all over Aussie Stadium.

"I've been involved in some slow games but that's usually when you're kicking into touch and that, but I've never seen as many injuries in my life," McKenzie said.

"I was falling asleep in the coach's box. The game ran overtime, I think we ran out of videotape in the end. We didn't even finish (taping) the game.

"It's a concern. I understand tactics... but there's also a responsibility to deliver a product.

"In the end, we're in the entertainment business so you've got to deliver something. If we all went out and played like that every week, no one would bother turning up.

"So I thought it was ridiculous. I can't believe so few people could be injured so often.

"It's all very well having big blokes but they've got to run around for 80 minutes. That's the nature of the game."

South African coach Rassie Erasmus defended his team's questionable antics and cited jetlag stemming from poor scheduling from competition officials as the reason so many of his troops required treatment.

"But maybe he has more medical experience than me," Erasmus said sarcastically of McKenzie's remarks.

Asked if that meant he thought his players had all been genuinely injured Erasmus said: "I'm saying that if a guy can't stand up, even if he's too tired or even if he's injured, if his jetlag's catching up with him, I can't tell him to stand up on the field."

The stop-start nature of the game restricted NSW to a 6-0 halftime advantage and the Waratahs were unable to seal the deal until Sailor's try in the 69th minute.

Hewat finished with a personal tally of 21 points after adding his try, a signature intercept effort, four minutes from full-time to his six goals from as many attempts in another unblemished performance from the competition's leading scorer.

The success was NSW's fifth straight in seven from eight games this season.

The Waratahs' focus will now shift to next Friday night's showdown with defending champions the Crusaders in a rematch of last year's Super 12 final in Christchurch.

The Waratahs will travel to New Zealand with considerable breathing space in their seemingly relentless march to the finals.

Their victory over the sixth-placed Cheetahs and defeat earlier for the fifth-placed Bulls in Auckland vaulted the competition front runners 13 points clear of their nearest rivals outside the top four.

Classy five-eighth Mat Rogers is hopeful of being fit to tackle the Crusaders after missing the match with a rib injury.

But prop Benn Robinson is in serious doubt after lasting just 10 minutes before succumbing to a shoulder injury.

He will have x-rays on Saturday.

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