As Bayley Kuenzle prepares to make his comeback for the Force on Saturday, the versatile back has opened up on his devastating knee injury that cruelled his hopes of playing for the Wallabies in 2024 and left him “down in the dumps” and feeling “alone”.

It was only last June that Kuenzle was feeling on top of the world, having enjoyed a memorable season for the Force that saw him finish second behind Ben Donaldson for the Nathan Sharpe Medal.

Six tries in 12 matches and an ability to cover multiple positions had impressed Wallabies selectors, with Joe Schmidt naming him in his first squad.

But it wasn’t long before the 26-year-old’s delight turned to devastation as Kuenzle suffered an ACL injury after returning to Sydney to try and keep the wheels turning to push his case for a national call-up.

“It was a pretty tough couple of months,” Kuenzle told The Roar. “I was riding high with Wallaby selection and being in and amongst that group.

“When I saw the surgeon, he said it could be a 12-month injury, which obviously would mean I would miss this season, which I wasn’t happy about.

“I was staying with my parents in Sydney before I came back to Perth. It was quite tough, to be honest. I felt quite alone. Obviously the boys got around me, but it was just a tough pill to swallow.”

Bayley Kuenzle says he was left devastated from his season-ending injury suffered in club rugby last July. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

After being told that it was possible he could get back on the field sooner than 12 months, Kuenzle set his mind on getting back in April to try and push his case for a recall to the wider Wallabies squad selection in what shapes as the biggest year in Australian rugby since 2013.

“He gave me a timeline between nine to 12 months, and I was like, ‘screw it, I’m going to do everything I can to get back to playing within nine months,’” Kuenzle said.

“Obviously he’s protecting himself a bit there, but it’s my job, so I wanted to do everything I could to get back and do the best I can with the injury.”

Kuenzle didn’t waste a second.

He not only focused on his rehabilitation but also went back and knocked off a couple of subjects at university.

At the same time though Kuenzle couldn’t help but feel like opportunities were around the corner.

As history shows too, they came quick.

In total, 19 Wallabies were given debut caps by Schmidt in his first season in charge, including maiden call-ups for centre Hamish Stewart and fellow versatile back Harry Potter.

It made it a tough pill to swallow, given it could have been Kuenzle who took his chance.

“That was probably the biggest thing,” he said. “I felt I had some good momentum but was pretty much cut down.

“That’s rugby, it comes with the game. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and I’ll back myself to get back to where I was last year.”

Bayley Kuenzle was called into the Wallabies’ wider squad following a strong campaign for the Western Force in 2024. (Photo by Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images)

Helping his rehabilitation was 95-Test Wallaby Kurtley Beale, who also suffered a devastating season-ending injury in club rugby weeks after earning his own Test recall.

Kuenzle said it was helpful having Beale’s upbeat nature around him, as well as his wealth of experience to lean on as they try to mount a late push for Lions selection.

“He’s actually helped me a lot with just how he sees the game,” Kuenzle said.

Funnily enough, Kuenzle was still in year 10 at Newington when Beale took on the Lions in 2013.

What’s his memory?

“I remember ‘KB’ slipping over at Suncorp,” he said.

Do you remind him of that a little bit?

“No, he actually reminded me of that,” Kuenzle said sheepishly. “He actually brought it up.”

Kuenzle was also buoyed by the semi-regular contact Schmidt kept in the background.

“He was in contact with me,” Kuenzle said.

“He was keeping tabs, which is good, and obviously with some of the squad selections, he sent me a message beforehand. He was like, obviously you’re not going to be selected with your injury, but hopefully it’s all going good and whatnot.

“It was nice hearing that, and I was still in the picture even though I wasn’t going to play, but it was just nice.

“Obviously, it got my hopes up a bit and kept some positivity amongst the frustration and that’s something I’ve not forgotten.”