Despite all their new recruits, the Western Force were still unable to show home fans what a Super 14 win looks like, stumbling to a hugely disappointing 8-7 loss to the depleted Highlanders at Subiaco Oval.

An error-strewn performance all too familiar to Force fans last year was made all the more hard to swallow on the night big-money recruits Matt Giteau, Ryan Cross and Drew Mitchell made their debuts.

And although Giteau and Cross could be relatively satisfied with their first nights in Blue, fullback Mitchell would have done himself no favours in front of Wallaby coach John Connolly with a nightmare game.

After the home side took the lead through a James Hilgendorf try in the first quarter, a reply from Josh Blackie and some dogged defence saw the underdog Kiwi side come away with the opening night points.

And as well as the loss, and the numerous mistakes, Force coach John Mitchell was also given a headache with a groin injury to Hilgendorf which forced him off the pitch, and possibly off the flight to South Africa on Saturday.

With temperatures hovering around 30 degrees at kick off, Mitchell began ice cold.

His first half saw him drop regulation high balls, miss crucial tackles, and set the tone for a messy start to the season.

Million-dollar man Giteau's first touch was more positive, with scruffy lineout ball turned into a half break with typical trickery, and league convert Cross also showed some good signs after his move from the Sydney Roosters.

But after an early Callum Bruce penalty, it was last year's Force finds of the season, Scott Staniforth and Hilgendorf, who did the damage.

After Staniforth bounced off opposite number Lucky Mulipola with a crunching hit, forcing the winger to stagger off, a gaping hole was left in the visitor's defence.

On the next phase, Hilgendorf ploughed through the still unplugged hole to score the first try of the season.

Highlanders coach Greg Cooper, already missing All Blacks Carl Hayman and Anton Oliver, and Nick Evans through injury, would have been furious when he also lost Clarke Dermody for 10 minutes for a crude swipe at Matt Henjak on the floor.

But even with a man advantage, the Force looked like a team which had not played together before - with Mitchell's horror start continuing unabated.

A mix-up with Henjak, which allowed an innocuous kick to bounce into touch, proved very costly, as from the resultant clearance the Highlanders worked the far side, and Blackie plunged over - thanks in part to a missed tackle from the fullback.

To compound the home side's malaise, Hilgendorf's injury forced a reshuffle, with Giteau moving to the five eighth position many thought he should have started at.

With the star recruit seeing more of the ball in the second half, the Force were finally able to string some phases together, with minutes spent camped on the Highlanders with no reward.

And for all the Force pressure, it was the Highlanders who could have scored more, with Craig Newby denied a rollover try by referee Jerome Fortuin in the dying minutes.

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