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.
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.
