Injury for Wallabies wing mars Force's climb up Super table

Wallabies winger Dylan Pietsch is set for another stint on the sidelines after injuring his quad during the Western Force’s 29-20 fightback win over the Highlanders.

Pietsch missed two games earlier this Super Rugby Pacific season with a knee injury, and he lasted just seven minutes against the Highlanders on Saturday night before limping off with a quad complaint.

It continues a frustrating run for Pietsch, whose 2024 grand slam tour with the Wallabies was cut short after just one match when he injured his calf in the thrilling win over England.

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The 26-year-old looked a frustrated figure when he limped off on Saturday night, and he’ll undergo scans to determine the extent of his latest injury.

“He’s a hell of a great human, Pietsch,” Force coach Simon Cron said.

“We love him in our environment, he’s added so much, and it’s really disappointing for him and frustrating.

“So we’ll get around him and do everything we can to get him back out there.

“As you see, he’s lightning quick. He has so much talent. So we’ve just got to look after him and get him right.”

Pietsch’s injury was the only down note for the Force on Saturday night as they came from 20-7 down to post a gutsy five-tries-to-two bonus-point win.

The result catapulted the Force (4-4) into fourth spot heading into their bye week, but they’ve played one more game than the rest of the competition.

The Force have never reached the finals in a full Super Rugby competition before, but they have put themselves well and truly in the frame this year.

After their bye, the Force host the seventh-placed Hurricanes before embarking on a two-game trip to New Zealand to face the ladder-leading Chiefs and the 10th-placed Blues.

Second-year captain Jeremy Williams praised the spirit and belief within the squad.

“We’re growing each year, and it’s awesome to see the growth of the boys in the team,” Williams said.

“We kind of expect that now. We have the self belief, both individually and as a team, to take on teams and know that we can get the job done.”

Cron echoed Williams’ sentiment.

“We all believe, and that (the win over the Highlanders) is not even our best performance,” Cron said.

“Our best performance is still coming. So that’s our mentality, and we’ve got to keep driving that.”