The NSW Waratahs host the unpredictable Blues on Saturday night believing they have entered the critical phase of the Super 14 season where games are virtually worth double competition points.

The fourth-placed Waratahs, on 18 points, can kick clear of the ninth-placed Blues (14pts) - and possibly terminate one of the tournament's most dangerous attacking sides' finals hopes to boot - with victory in the vital round-seven clash at the SFS.

"We've reached roughly the halfway mark of the season and we're sitting in fourth place and I think you'll find over this weekend and next weekend there'll probably be a bit of a split in the table," NSW coach Chris Hickey said on Friday.

"So it's really important that we have a win not only this week but next week also to maintain our momentum as a team and maintain our position on the ladder."

As it is, the front-running Bulls, on 24 points with a game in hand, the Stormers (23pts) and Crusaders (23pts) have already opened up a gap over their chasing rivals.

And either the fifth-placed Brumbies (17pts) or sixth-placed Chiefs (16pts) will find themselves well adrift of the playoff zone after their crucial match-up this weekend.

NSW skipper Phil Waugh agreed crunch time was fast approaching for all finals aspirants.

"It's getting close," he said.

"Obviously the Blues coming off a good win last week (against the Brumbies), us coming off a tough win ... we need to keep building momentum after three wins on the trot.

"So certainly in the context of the season this game's a big game for both teams."

The Waratahs pride themselves on being a team for all seasons and they will need to be as they enter a stretch of five games out of their last seven regular-season fixtures against New Zealand opposition.

Only a four-point loss to the Crusaders denied NSW a rare clean sweep over trans-Tasman counterparts last year.

"That was 12 months ago, but it's good to have that history," Waugh said.

"It's our first New Zealand team this year, so I think the guys are looking forward to getting out there and playing that style of rugby.

"It's going to be combative, it's going to be dynamic at the tackle contest, so the guys are pretty keyed up for a pretty physical clash."

Unlike playing South Africans, who prefer kicking for field position, the Waratahs are bracing for a fierce defensive battle against the free-running Blues.

Limiting the Blues' attacking opportunities is the key, with the Waratahs believing they can afford to allow the Aucklanders to convert two out of every six tryscoring chances - but not four out of 12.

"Defence is going to be a very big part of the game," Waugh said.

"To be fair, our defence probably hasn't been tested a huge amount in the last couple of weeks.

"It will be a different challenge tomorrow night with the Blues' ability to attack and the number of ball-carriers they've got who can bend the line and break the line."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP