Tries, and lots of them.

That's the request from Waratahs coach Chris Hickey for his revamped team ahead of their must win Super 14 clash against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday.

Hickey has altered his backline after last week's insipid loss to the Highlanders in Invercargill and will hand youngster Pat McCutcheon his first Super rugby start against the struggling Chiefs, saying the youngster would bring energy and enthusiasm to the team.

Heading into round 13 in fifth spot, NSW needs to win their last two games to make the finals and may even need a bonus point.

Hickey said his team would probably need to score at least four tries to beat the Chiefs despite the New Zealanders having won just one of their past eight matches.

"We expect the Chiefs will play an expansive game and part of the strategy has to revolve around containing them and the other half of our strategy is about scoring tries ourselves," he said.

"Because they are a team that even if you defend well, they are probably going to score three or four and if we're going to win, we'll have to score four or five."

Australian Sevens star McCutcheon replaces Dave Dennis at blindside flanker, while Benn Robinson makes his comeback from injury in the front row in place of Dan Palmer.

In the backs, Tom Carter has moved from outside centre to inside centre with Berrick Barnes shifting from the latter position to five-eighth in place of Daniel Halangahu.

Luke Burgess has been restored to the starting side in place of Josh Holmes, who drops back to the bench alongside Halangahu and Dennis.

"We just felt with Berrick and Tom we can play very direct... I think with the Chiefs that's the way you have to play them," Hickey said.

"Whenever Tom has played for us, whether it's been at 12 or 13, he certainly gives us good go forward when he's got the ball and we think particularly in the first 40 minutes that's going to be important part of the game for us.

"It was an area that we were quite poor at last Friday."

He said Robinson and fellow injury returnee Rob Horne would continue to be monitored, but the former rated himself "one hundred per cent fit at the moment".

Robinson, who missed the last two matches with small fractures in his forearm, scrummaged on Monday and did contact work on Tuesday.

"I don't know if I passed with flying colours, but I passed and got through it and everything was feeling pretty strong and good," Robinson told AAP.

"I got a few knocks on it yesterday in training and my grip was still there, which is the important thing.

"As a front rower, you need that, it's a big part of your game in scrummaging and in lifting."

Waratahs: Kurtley Beale, Lachie Turner, Rob Horne, Tom Carter, Drew Mitchell, Berrick Barnes, Luke Burgess, Ben Mowen, Phil Waugh (capt), Patrick McCutcheon, Kane Douglas, Dean Mumm, Al Baxter, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson. Res: Damien Fitzpatrick, Dan Palmer/Jeremy Tilse, Chris Thomson, Dave Dennis, Josh Holmes, Daniel Halangahu, Sosene Anesi.

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