Returning Wallabies prop Angus Bell is looking to put his Irish lessons to good use against some of his old teammates next weekend in Sydney.
Bell is back in Australia after a sabbatical with URC side Ulster, linking up after last year’s Spring Tour.
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The 25-year-old instantly became a fan favourite, driving them to the Challenge Cup Final, going down to Top 14 finalists Montpellier.
Back in Sydney, the loosehead prop returns with a wealth of knowledge beyond his years.
“It’s really different over there where I feel Super Rugby is the same shape and speed, very tidy whereas in URC you’ve got South Africa, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and there’s different pictures every week so that was part of the challenge and the exciting factor," he told reporters.
“It was a really cool experience to be able to play people I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t made the decision and plenty of learnings as an Ulster squad that was a pretty young forward pack.
“It was an awesome experience as being someone who was actually one of the older players in the forward pack.”
Bell returns home feeling relatively fresh thanks to two tough moments in his short stint with the club.
The prop was still reeling after missing the URC finals on account of an on-the-bell try by the Stormers to deny them victory and a place in the top eight.
But what was more pressing at the time was a foot injury suffered against Leinster in April.
The prop was nearly in tears after several injuries on his other foot had disrupted his young career, before receiving the all clear to return within a month.
“It was a weird one. I lost feeling in my foot so it was just a nerve thing. When I got tackled obviously it was an artificial pitch so there's not much give when it comes to like feet sliding,” he explained.
“I had some minor tears in it, but it wasn't as bad as I first thought or the staff really thought in the start…when the doctor came out, I just got him to clear everything, obviously as a rugby player I'm pretty anxious anyway with what I've had in the past.
“I just got them to clear all the big ones, and they said it was fine out there, but again my foot wasn't moving so they cleared me of all the bad ones and then that put me in a bit of head space in that moment, but when it initially happened, yeah, it was pretty scary.”
Bell now turns his attention to stopping a host of his former teammates in the Ireland squad, who have reaped the benefit of a strong URC season partnering with Bell
There are 10 Ulster players in the Irish 36-player squad, more than double the number represented the last time the Wallabies faced Ireland, with centre Stuart McCloskey nominated for player of the Six Nations and winger Robert Baloucoune winning the Rising Player award of the tournament
Only URC champions Leinster have more representation in the Ireland squad, with Bell up for the challenge.
“It's very similar to what the Australian identity is, even around the change room, very similar as well so I've made friends for life from Northern Ireland and Belfast so it'll be interesting playing those boys,” Bell noted.
“We've been talking over the past 3-4 weeks. I only came back a week ago, so it's going to be interesting going up against them. They're top fellas, couldn't speak any higher of them, just like I couldn't speak any higher of the boys here at the Wallabies squad too.
“…[Ireland’s] got some really good players and individuals and how many boys are now from Ulster in that Irish team, you've got the Ward brothers [Bryn and Zac], ‘Cat’ [Rob Baloucoune], Tom O'Toole, Stu McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and then you throw in all the Leinster lads and a few others scattered around Connacht and Munster.
"They’ve got an amazing team which is why they've been so competitive so it's an exciting time for Australian Rugby to go out there at home at Allianz, hopefully a packed out crowd and win.”
