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Mitchell was speaking as his side re-grouped for the start of their pre-season preparations that will see all but the squad's Wallabies undergoing fitness testing and medical screening.
“We now have enough experience, self belief and the benefit of having dealt with adversity and success to know what we need to do,” commented the Force supremo who guided his side to a 7th place finish on this year's log.

“To make further progress, we must raise our expectations and perform more consistently, and if we don’t do that, we should be rightly criticized.”

For the Force today was ‘day one’ of a 14 and a half week training and preparation program which includes trials against the Crusaders in Melbourne and the Reds at Members Equity Stadium, and culminates in the opening fixture against the Sharks in Durban on February 15.

The new face at today’s testing session was Australian U19 lock Sam Wykes, while ET Perth Spirit winger Nick Cummins and lock Scott Fardy enter the Emirates Western Force squad for the first time, as do Firepower RugbyWA Academy players James Stannard and Kieran Longbottom.

Australia A Schools and Hale School outside back Dane Haylett-Petty will join the squad in between exams, while former Brumbies flanker Tamaiti Horua and Australian Schools inside back James O’Connor will arrive in Perth in January.

The five Wallabies – Nathan Sharpe, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Scott Staniforth and Cameron Shepherd – will rejoin the squad sporadically over the next seven weeks leading up to the Christmas break.

“I want this team to perform,” added Mitchell.

“The progress we have made in a relatively short period has won us respect but it’s time we got more than just a pat on the back,” he said.

During the trial phase, the Emirates Western Force will play the Crusaders in Melbourne on Saturday 2 February and the Reds at Members Equity Stadium on Thursday 7 February.

The 2008 Investec Super 14 squad for the Emirates Western Force is as follows: