They weathered two weeks in South Africa and must steel themselves for two more brutal encounters, despite being back on Australian soil.

The Force, described by NSW captain Dave Dennis as the most "African" of the Australian sides, signalled they would run their opponents ragged, while the Bulls, whom the Waratahs host next week, will bring their trademark Highveld abrasiveness to bear in Sydney.

"Yeah they've got a big pack but we're playing quite good as a forward unit," Force captain Matt Hodgson said this week. "We looked at ways to make them run around the pitch and things like that. We've got a few plans in place to combat their big units."

It will be the perfect test for a side coming to grips with its own physicality. After two seasons in transition, the Waratahs appear to be recovering from a period of almost apologetic performances up front.

The Stormers called it last week, saying what masqueraded as Michael Cheika's Israel Folau roadshow was, in fact, classic "forward-dominated rugby" – unless that was just 2.03-metre-tall lock Will Skelton obscuring their view.

It is safe to say the NSW forwards are enjoying their time in the sun but are also mindful of keeping a lid on expectations, especially before facing a side as stubborn and structured as the Force.

"You can't buy into it, every pack is strong in Super Rugby, it's a strong competition," prop Paddy Ryan said.

"You're seeing teams who, in the past, might not have been as strong, like the Force and the Lions, and they're bashing other packs.

"So you have to be ready to front up to that physical challenge and be better than that standard if we want to finish where we want to finish."

Dennis said the Waratahs were confident they could produce a set-piece performance more in line with their display against the Stormers than some of their earlier efforts.

"The boys have taken a lot of confidence out of [the Stormers victory] but we've talked about [the Force's] set-piece, their scrum is going very well and they're mauling off a lot of lineouts," Dennis said.

"Last week, we talked about the set-piece going a long way to determining the outcome of the game and this is going to be similar. I think the scrum and lineout is going to dictate the tempo and flow of the game."

Where the Waratahs do lead their Western rivals is in carries, a nod to the impact of players such as Skelton, Michael Hooper, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Jacques Potgieter.

"What it's about at this level is identifying what your strengths are and I think having big guys who like to carry the ball and like to get physical ... means you may as well use it," Dennis said.

"I think the pack is really enjoying that opportunity to have that presence in a game. I don't know what the score rate is at the moment but probably about 90 per cent of our points are scored by the backs and they're getting a lot of credit, which is good, because they're playing well.

"But I think it's nice that the forwards get a bit of credit as well for the hard work they're doing."