The Western Force's horror injury run this Super 14 season has a silver lining in the form of lucky charm Justin Turner.

While the Force have uncovered several promising players this season in the wake of their injury crisis, including Mitch Inman and Ben McCalman, Rugby WA academy squad member Turner has proved to be the find of the lot.

The 20-year-old halfback made his debut off the bench against the Stormers two weeks ago and the Force haven't lost since, running in six tries against the Highlanders on enemy territory last Saturday to notch their second win on the trot.

Four of those tries were posted when Turner came off the bench in the 57th minute, with his crisp passing and speed around the breakdown exposing gaping holes in the Highlanders' defence.

But it has been far from an easy ride for the South African-born scrumhalf, who starred in a pre-season loss to the Reds in 2009 before a serious back injury cruelled his hopes of appearing in the season proper.

"It was stress fractures of my lower lumber in my back. It was a bit of a shock to the system," Turner said from New Zealand ahead of Saturday's clash with the Blues in Auckland.

"I had a few problems with my back when I was in school playing cricket but then I had no worries for a couple of years.

"And then when that flared up again I was so disappointed because I had just played a trial game and thought 'here comes a few Super 14 games in my first year of professional rugby'.

"I had to be sidelined for three months and I wasn't allowed to run for two months.

"I've gained control of it now though."

While Turner is content to play his role off the bench for the time being, he is eyeing a starting role in the future.

But with Brett Sheehan, who is set to return from a hamstring injury in time for next week's home clash with the Crusaders, and Chris O'Young above him in the pecking order, Turner knows it won't be an easy task just to hold on to his bench spot.

"Yeah it is tough but it creates a good environment around training; it's pretty competitive between them two and also myself coming through," he said.

"Hopefully in the future I can take up one of those two roles and keep going up through the system."

Turner moved with his family to Sydney when he was 11 to escape the crime that had engulfed his native South Africa.

The family made the trek west two years later and Turner hopes to stay in Perth for the foreseeable future.

And while international honours might be a while off yet, Turner has no doubt where his allegiances lie.

"If you'd asked me a couple of years ago I might have ummed and arred about it but now definitely 100 per cent Wallabies all the way," he said.

The Blues, who have dropped lively centre Rene Ranger to the bench, enter the round eight points adrift of the top four, meaning anything less than a win will end their slim finals hopes.

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