NSW have vowed to ramp up their physicality as they endeavour to keep their Super rugby finals hopes alive with an away win over the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday.

The Waratahs enter the penultimate round in fifth spot, probably needing to win each of their remaining games to clinch a finals berth.

They would do well to ignore the history books as their last win in Hamilton was 10 years ago.

The Waratahs will also look for an upturn in their offshore form, having lost each of their four previous games outside Australia this year.

NSW have gleaned only one point from those games, though three of them were against the teams that filled the top three positions heading into this weekend's round.

"This year we probably haven't been great offshore and it's time to get a win here on what is an important weekend," Waratahs lock and vice-captain Dean Mumm told AAP.

The Waratahs will be bolstered by the return of scrum linchpin Benn Robinson, while young flanker Pat McCutcheon has been given a first Super start in anticipation of adding energy to the back row.

Mumm revealed there had been a focus on physicality after NSW were outmuscled by the Highlanders at Invercargill last week.

"In terms of the physicality up front we definitely lost that battle and you just can't win games without that physicality and that is going to be our aim tomorrow," Mumm said.

"With Robbo, he will certainly add to that and it's up to the rest of us to step up and be able to carry a bit more ball."

The Chiefs, who are now out of finals contention, will be without several of their main strike weapons.

Their fearsome back three of Sitiveni Sivivatu, Lelia Masaga and Mils Muliaina are all missing, while five-eighth Stephen Donald and hard-running No. 8 Sione Lauaki are also unavailable.

However, Wallabies forward Mumm said he was still very wary of the Chiefs' second and back row personnel.

"They've got a very good pack. They've got a quality back row of Colin Bourke, Tanerau Latimer and Liam Messam, who have been getting them turnovers and they are certainly dangerous from turnovers," Mumm said.

"Their lineout has been very effective against the quality lineouts in the competition. We are very wary of the Chiefs on both those fronts."

Mumm expected the Chiefs to be motivated by the fact they have lost each of their previous games in Hamilton this year.

Waratahs coach Chris Hickey expected the Chiefs to play their traditional expansive style.

He believed the Waratahs would need to score at least four tries to win the game, which would also earn them a precious bonus point.

Hickey revamped the Waratahs backline, reinstating halfback Luke Burgess, shifting Berrick Barnes from inside centre to five-eighth in place of Daniel Halangahu, with Tom Carter moving from outside centre to inside centre.

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