The score line might have ended in an ugly manner for the Western Force - but Dylan Pietsch is backing his hard running form to get him back into the Wallaby starting side.
While the 54-7 score line suggested a one-sided romp, it proved anything but in the first half, with Pietsch cutting apart the Lions line on several occasions before the hosts went in 21-7.
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After a Super Rugby Pacific season that has seen the young Wallaby injured on several occasions and struggle to get game time, it was a confidence-boosting performance that matched the historic occasion.
"I had a pretty bad injury run this year - had eight weeks off, then played the Tahs, and then had four weeks into this game," Pietsch said to reporters in the post-match on Saturday.
"I was just excited just to play again and get the ball in your hands and just see what happens.
"It's kind of a big part of my game, I try to be very physical and if you see that week in and week out, I'm doing my job right.
"Having 50,000 people, it's hard not to get up for a game, and I love playing big games and play against the Lions.
"You're not going to get much bigger. It was really good for the boys and you could tell it in the energy in the first half."
While the Force were able to match it with their more fancied opponents in the first half, the visitors ultimately ran away with the game - scoring five tries in the second half.
Despite the blowout, the Force star wasn't worried about whether the result would have an impact on his Wallaby prospects.
"I don't really worry about that," the winger replied.
"I'm just really excited that I played for the Force against the Lions, and in the jersey I designed is the best thing. I'm going to camp next week and just try to prep the boys for the Fiji game.
"Playing the Lions is one of the biggest things. That was so fun out there and to be able to potentially do that again is definitely a big thing."
While the match proved an opportunity to press his case - Pietsch admitted that he still has plenty of work to do to crack Joe Schmidt's starting side, who continue their preparations in Newcastle for their opener against Fiji.
"My physicality and trying to stay on all the time and really coming to the occasion - you can either kind of fold or lean into it, and I always try to lean into it," Pietsch said.
"I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin and I know what I've got, so I don't really try to have that chip on my shoulder at all.
"The boys here know my ability and that's what I feed off."
