Aaron Cruden starts for the first time in eight weeks © Getty Images

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The Chiefs have made six personnel changes and two further positional switches for what coach Dave Rennie describes as a "season-defining" Super Rugby game against New South Wales Waratahs.

Aaron Cruden starts for the first time in eight weeks after breaking his left thumb, replacing Gareth Anscombe for the game at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth on Saturday. Cruden struggled when he went on for the last half hour of 45-8 drubbing at the hands of the Hurricanes last weekend, and he will be out to prove he is ready to wear the All Blacks No.10 jersey against England next month.

Further changes in the backline see Bundee Aki make way for Andrew Horrell at second five-eighth and Tom Marshall recalled at fullback, pushing Tim Nanai-Williams to centre and relegating Charlie Ngatai.

Up front, prop Jamie Mackintosh and lock Matt Symons are both handed their fifth start of the season, replacing Pauliasi Manu and Mike Fitzgerald respectively. Tanerau Latimer is also dropped to the reserves bench, allowing Liam Squire to come in at No.8 and Liam Messam to shift to his preferred blindside flank role.

Rennie has made wholesale changes a regular feature of the two-time defending champions' season.

He hopes he has got it right for his eighth-placed team following last week's humbling in Wellington, their heaviest loss for five years.

"With only two points separating the top four teams in the New Zealand conference, every game is vital and this stems as season-defining," Rennie said.

The second-placed Waratahs have recorded high-scoring bonus-point wins in each of their past three starts, leaving the Chiefs in full respect of the Australian visitors.

"They have a huge pack and a backline full of game-breakers," Rennie said. "Both teams play a positive brand of footy so it should be a hell of a contest."

Chiefs: Tom Marshall; Dwayne Sweeney, Tim Nanai-Williams, Andrew Horrell, Asaeli Tikoirotuma; Aaron Cruden (co-captain), Tawera Kerr-Barlow; Liam Squire Sam Cane, Liam Messam (co-captain); Brodie Retallick, Matt Symons; Ben Tameifuna, Nathan Harris, Jamie Mackintosh. Replacements: Mahonri Schwalger, Pauliasi Manu, Josh Hohneck, Michael Fitzgerald, Tanerau Latimer, Brad Weber, Gareth Anscombe, Bundee Aki.