Darcy Swain targets Lions with Western Force rebirth

New Western Force recruit Darcy Swain has set his sights on becoming a ball-carrying beast as he attempts to resurrect his Wallabies career.

Swain hasn’t featured for the Wallabies since being part of the side that suffered a shock 28-27 loss to Italy in November, 2022.

The 27-year-old had been a fixture at the Brumbies since making his debut in 2018, establishing himself as one of the country’s best locks.

But just like Nic White a year before him, Swain felt it was time for a change, and the lure of Perth’s stunning beaches combined with the excitement of helping coach Simon Cron turn the Force into a powerhouse proved too hard to resist.

“I feel like if you keep doing the same things, you are going to get the same results. I needed a change,” Swain said.

“I just felt like I was doing the same thing in Canberra the last two or three years, and just needed a fresh start and something different.

“To come here for the lifestyle change has been good, and I’ve come over here to challenge myself and try to grow as a player.”

Part of that growth is about Swain taking on more attacking responsibility.

“It’s easy when you have Rob Valetini outside of you,” Swain said in reference to the star Brumbies and Wallabies back-rower.

“He’s a beast of a ball carrier. So I just gave it to him every time – like it was just easy.

“I felt like I sort of did myself dirty in that way. I just never do any of that stuff.

“So coming here – not that no one is a beast of a ball carrier here – but I felt like I just played my way into doing a little small job (at the Brumbies), and just doing that job really well.

“I feel like coming here I’m going to have to grow as a player and become a better player if I want to take my game to the next level.”

With the British and Irish Lions to tour Australia later this year for the first time in 12 years, the desire to win back his spot in the Wallabies set-up is burning stronger than ever for Swain.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing. For me, it would be huge,” Swain said of the Lions tour.

“I’m still very hungry to get back in that jersey, but first I have to play good footy at the Force and earn the right to get back in that jersey.”

Swain, who has 17 Wallabies caps to his name, is signed at the Force for the next two Super Rugby seasons.

And in good news for Force fans, Swain hopes to stay at the club even longer than that.

“I didn’t want to just come here and piss off somewhere else – I want to come here and be a long-time player,” Swain said.

“There’s banners up on the wall of blokes who have 50 caps. I’d love to be on that wall one day.

“I want to add something to this club and hopefully put us where we haven’t been before.”

The Force’s season begins at home to Moana Pasifika on February 15.