Western Force swallow bitter pill after being eliminated following Drua win

Their finals dream is over for another year, but coach Simon Cron is proud of how his Western Force team went punch for punch with the competition’s best sides in 2026.

The Force improved their Super Rugby Pacific record to 6-7 with a 19-15 win over Fijian Drua in Perth on Saturday night.

But Queensland’s last-gasp win over Moana Pasifika earlier in the day combined with the Force’s inability to secure a winning bonus point meant the Perth-based franchise was eliminated from the finals race with one round to go.

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It’s a bitter pill to swallow for the Force, who have won four of their past five games heading into their final-round fixture against the Waratahs in Perth next Saturday night.

The Force’s inability to close out games earlier in the season cost them dearly.

Cron’s men lost 42-32 to the Blues in Perth after leading at half-time.

They led the Highlanders in Dunedin with 10 minutes remaining before slipping to a 39-31 loss.

And it was a similar story against the Hurricanes in Napier, with the Force coughing up a 11-5 lead early in the second half on the way to a 31-23 defeat.

The Force were brave in a 24-14 loss to the Chiefs at home, and they were left cursing their failure to capitalise on their dominance in a 24-22 defeat to the Drua in April.

The Hurricanes, Chiefs and Blues are all in the top three on the table, and the Force’s efforts to push them all the way was impressive.

The Force also posted a 31-26 win over the fourth-placed Crusaders, and notched two wins over the sixth-placed Reds.

“These guys played some brilliant rugby against some great sides,” Cron said after the Force’s finals drought officially extended to 21 years.

“Previously when I’ve been coaching the Force against some of those bigger Kiwi sides, it’s been a challenge and we haven’t really been in the fight.

“Whereas this year against the Hurricanes, Chiefs and those sides, these guys were actually punch for punch.”

Force captain Jeremy Williams says his team would take missing finals “on the chin” and were determined to finish off the season strongly.

“We’ve still got a lot to play for. We’ve got each other, the club, the fans,” he said.

“We want to put in a performance that we’re really proud of, and is what the Western Force is about.”