Western Force coach Simon Cron is confident the last round bye has not dented the side's push towards the finals.
He said the squad had returned to training from the week off focused, refreshed and ready Saturday's Round 10 SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Hurricanes at HBF Park from 5:35pm WST (tickets via Ticketmaster).
"The boys got away for a little bit. They all got a break. They look pretty refreshed," Cron told reporters during the CD Dodd Conference after Friday's Captain's Run.
"Everybody did everything they needed to do.
"They've come back in well focused and ready to go."
The Force are sixth on the ladder with 20 points but the Hurricanes are just four points behind in eighth spot and Cron said each of the remaining six games was like a "double-points" clash.
"Each week the boys get used to that and now it's about putting performances on the park that we can be proud of," he said.
"The boys won't accept mediocrity. They won't accept average.
"To be fair the point that we make in our team is that we should probably have been a little bit higher had we executed in a couple of other games.
"The last thing they will do is accept where they are now.
"The first eight (games) there were some challenges which the boys worked through."
After Saturday's game (kick-off 5:35pm WST, live on Stan Sport and 9Gem) the Force fly to New Zealand to face the Chiefs and Blues, come back to Perth for the Brumbies, head off to Fiji and return for their final game against the Waratahs ahead of their second bye.
"Six games..,we'll block that into threes and go at it," Cron said.
Cron said the bye had come at the right time with some players carrying injuries into the previous game, the 29-20 win against the Highlanders, and he has made just one change to the starting side.
Bayley Kuenzle makes his long-awaited return on the wing replacing injured Wallaby Dylan Pietsch who will be out for several weeks with a quad injury picked up in the Highlanders game.
Kuenzle has been out of action since July last year following surgery after injuring his posterior cruciate ligament and medial cruciate ligament playing club rugby.
Cron and his coaching team watched Kuenzle play for Associates in their Fortescue Premier Grade win over Joondalup last weekend.
"He got a lot of contacts so that will give him a lot of confidence going into this game," Cron said.
Kuenzle prefers an inside backs role but Cron said: "He's fast and he's really good at shutting down those inside channels.
"It's a real skill set defensively, from 13 to wing you've got a lot of space to cover, and Bayley has the speed and ability to do that.
"We made a decision early on in the week about how important it was to get him in and give him opportunities.
"From the moment he got injured to now, he's worked so hard to get himself back into a position to be selected.
"He's fast, he's powerful and we love having him in the team."
The Hurricanes, semi-finalists last season, will be looking to turn their form around after back-to-back defeats in the last two rounds to Kiwi rivals Blues and Crusaders.
Coach Clark Laidlaw has named his strongest matchday squad of the season with the return of All Blacks Billy Proctor and Riley Higgins, while Ruben Love moves from full-back to fly-half with Callum Harkin starting in the No. 15 jumper.
Brad Shields is back in the starting forward pack at blindside flanker.
"The Hurricanes are an amazing team across the park," Cron said.
Western Force starting side: Marley Pearce, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Tom Robertson, Jeremy Williams (c), Darcy Swain, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Carlo Tizzano, Vaiolini Ekuasi, Nic White, Ben Donaldson, Bayley Kuenzle, Hamish Stewart, Sio Tomkinson, Harry Potter, Mac Grealy
Reserves; Nic Dolly, Atu Moli, Josh Smith, Reed Prinsep, Will Harris, Henry Robertson, Max Burey, George Poolman
Hurricanes starting side: Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua, Tyrel Lomax, Caleb Delany, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Brad Shields, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Peter Lakai, Cam Roigard, Ruben Love, Fatafehi Fineanganofo, Peter Umaga-Jensen, Bailyn Sullivan, Ngatungane Punivai, Callum Harkin
Reserves: Raymond Tuputupu, Tevita Mafileo, Pasilo Tosi, Zach Gallagher, Brayden Iose, Ereatara Enari, Riley Higgins, Billy Proctor
Game details
SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific Round 10
Western Force vs Hurricanes
Saturday 19 April, 5:35pm WST
HBF Park
Live on Stan Sport and 9Gem
Tickets available via Ticketmaster
