After a fortnight of stewing, the NSW Waratahs are stinging for the chance to get their Super Rugby campaign back on track against the lowly Cheetahs on Saturday night.

The Waratahs' scintillating start to the season, when they racked up 11 tries in their opening two games, was banished to the archives after the Crusaders spanked them in Nelson last outing.

Tails between their legs, the Waratahs returned home looking for redemption but have had to bide their time while enduring a fourth-round bye.

"It's never nice having a break after a loss," stand-in captain Dean Mumm said on Friday.

"But it's been perfect for us to really get in there and work on what we needed to work on.

"We've worked very hard, particularly as a forward pack, quite physically as well.

"So it hasn't been so much of a break as much as a time to re-focus and consider what we need to bring into this game against the Cheetahs."

NSW coach Chris Hickey said the Waratahs were desperate to atone.

"Off the back of the Crusaders game, the players were disappointed in a number of areas of our game," he said.

"We had a bye - we couldn't do anything about that - so this is our first opportunity to rectify some of those problems. That serves to motivate the players highly."

The last-placed Cheetahs are winless this season and still chasing their breakthrough Super victory in Australasia, but Hickey hoped the Waratahs' capitulation against the Crusaders would have eliminated any sense of complacency.

"We don't underestimate the Cheetahs at all," he said.

"People underestimate them because they're sitting at the bottom of their conference.

"But they led the Bulls (in round two) for probably 70 minutes, they were probably unfortunate to lose to the Lions last week.

"They're a team that if they get forward momentum, they're not just a forward team; they've got a good backline, they've got plenty of speed and on the back of that forward momentum they'll be prepared to play."

While the Waratahs will be without skipper Phil Waugh (bicep) and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau (knee), they welcome back midfield general Berrick Barnes (concussion) and destructive No.8 Wycliff Palu, while Wallabies prop Benn Robinson (bench) will start for the first time in 2011.

With the NSW scrum found wanting against the Crusaders and the Cheetahs particularly strong at the set piece, Mumm said Robinson's return was a "bonus" for the Tahs.

"Our scrum wasn't fantastic last game and certainly not where we want it to be," he said.

"This is a perfect opportunity to test where we're at again.

"(Being up against) a big, physical forward pack means we have to do a lot of work up front and I'm confident we can get that done.

"But if we're not up to the mark, we're going to be in a bit of trouble."

Barnes replaces Daniel Halangahu at five-eighth for the Waratahs.

"Berrick's first two games were excellent," Mumm said.

"He controlled the game and the tempo of the game very well. That's something we want again tomorrow night, playing on our terms and kicking on our terms as well."

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