Stormers captain Corne Krige has pinpointed South Africa's injury list as the reason for their failure in Super 12 rugby this season.

Krige said on Wednesday the extraordinary injury toll that struck all their teams early in the season had left them vulnerable to losing the important close contests.

The Stormers and Chiefs clash in Hamilton on Saturday. Both sides have remote mathematical chances of making the semifinals.

Krige said that his country's poor showing so far in the Super 12 should not be seen as an indicator of how it would fare in test matches this year.

"We had one of our best Tri-Nations after one of our worst Super 12s, and our worst Tri-Nations after one of our best Super 12s.

"I've got no doubt at all that the Springboks will put out a very good side this year. I don't read anything from Super 12 form when it comes to the Test matches," he said.

"The remarkable thing this year among all our Super 12 teams has been the number of injuries. We have had 15 or 16 international players who have been out of action through injury.

"That has a major effect on teams, especially when you are in close games. It makes the difference between winning and losing.

"Those players are starting to come back now. I know that we will be very strong.

"There have been other reasons for our problems. Players have lost a bit of confidence. But you can trace a lot of that back to a really strange run of injuries."

Krige has been one of the South African stars in a season in which their teams have lined up at the bottom of the Super 12 table.

The Stormers arrived in Hamilton on Thursday after their loss to the Crusaders, for a match that promises all-out attack from both sides.

The Chiefs and Stormers are level on points, and know they must get a win, plus a four-try bonus point, to retain any remote chance of making the playoffs.

The Stormers have reverted to their top-strength side, with flanker Hendrik Gerber back in the starters, along with outside back Breyton Paulse, who has been making his way back from injury.

The one major selection change is the dropping of Test prop Cobus Visagie to the bench.

Visagie is apparently in hot water for comments about refereeing in the Stormers' last two matches, although their management was at pains to say that his demotion was not related to that problem.

But there is little doubt that South Africa feel Australian Wayne Erickson, who referees Saturday night's match, has done them few favours in the past and Krige admitted he felt his side had not been dealt the best of refereeing decisions lately.

"That's the way it can go and you've got to rise above that."