Western Force lock Sam Wykes says the Super Rugby franchise is ready to implement the lessons they learnt last season as they strive towards their first finals appearance. 

The Force recorded their best-ever season in 2014, but still fell two points shy of a finals spot. 

Wykes, who will lead the team in the absence of regular captain Matt Hodgson, said the team was well prepared for the season. 

"We learnt a lot out of last year," Wykes said. 

"We learnt how to come back from some tough times, after the first two weeks, when a lot of people wrote us off.

"Just getting that taste of winning has made the boys pretty hungry for it." 

The Force have never won their opening match of the season in their eight-year history and have only won three times in 14 attempts against the NSW Warratahs, who they play on Sunday in Sydney. 

"It’s not often you get the same game two years in a row first up where we can really make up for where left off last year," said Wykes. 

Listen to the full interview on Sports Today: