NSW coach Chris Hickey is backing his less-fancied trio to win the potentially-decisive showdown with the Western Force's all-Wallabies back row in Saturday night's Super Rugby derby in Sydney.

Hickey on Thursday labelled the clash between Waratahs' back-rowers, Ben Mowen, Pat McCutcheon and Dave Dennis, and the Force's Richard Brown, David Pocock and Matt Hodgson as "probably one of the battles that decides who is going to win the war".

"Whichever back row dominates there, that will decide the quality of the possession and the speed of the possession that each team gets, and it will be a critical part of who wins the war," he said.

"It's a quality back row in both sides. They're obviously very strong with Pocock coming back, Matt Hodgson and Brown.

"Our back row is going to have to really compete hard in that area of the game.

"But I think that Ben Mowen, Pat McCutcheon and Dave Dennis will be their equal.

"So it will be a real battle between those six. Young Pat McCutcheon will relish that opportunity to compete against Pocock."

Indeed he is.

"Coming up against those players is what you look forward to. It's why you play the game - to put yourself out there for a challenge and hopefully you come out on top," McCutcheon said.

The 23-year-old has admired Pocock's meticulous work as a teammate during their Australian schoolboys days and, more recently, on Wallaby tours.

But this will be the first time he goes head-to-head with the reigning John Eales Medallist and 2010 international player of the year nominee.

"To get to know the guy and how he prepares for the game, it is top notch, so it is going to be a great challenge," McCutcheon said.

"Just probably the little one percenters (are what sets him apart). He tries to focus on every aspect of the game.

"He's got an all-round skill set. He's physically there, he's mentally there and he gets right involved in the game.

"As an opposition player, all I can do is try and focus on my player, work out what his strengths are and try to counteract that."

The seventh-placed Waratahs head into the contest eight competition points adrift of Queensland and still hoping to catch the Australian conference leaders to guarantee themselves a finals' berth.

"There's still a fair bit of footy to be played and there will be some movement on that table, and the Reds have got some hard games in front of them," Hickey said.

"If we can get through this game, pick up four points for the bye (next week) and then (beat) the (last-placed) Lions, then I think we'll find ourselves well placed before we head off to Africa."

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