Waratahs boss Dan McKellar hopes that Angus Bell will return from his stint at Ulster in ‘one piece’ following the confirmation of the Wallabies prop’s move to the Irish province.
In a move not too dissimilar to that of Len Ikitau, who will join Exeter Chiefs on a short-term deal, and the likes of All Blacks Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane – Bell will join Ulster following the conclusion of the 2025 international season.
Angus Bell signs with Ulster
The Waratahs and Wallabies front-rower is contracted to Rugby Australia through to the end of 2027, which contains an option for a sabbatical.
Commenting on the move, Bell said: “To play a season for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship will provide me with new experiences and skills which I look forward to bringing back to Australia with me.
“I would like to thank Rugby Australia and the NSW Waratahs for working with me in exploring this unique opportunity.”
New South Wales Waratahs head coach McKellar added: “We’re supportive of Angus’ decision to continue his personal growth. He’s a young man, who came straight out of school into the NSW Waratahs system, and we think the time at Ulster will be good for his development on and off the field, which ultimately will help the Waratahs long term.
“We’ve had a focus on creating depth within our squad this year and Angus’ time in Ireland will provide opportunities for others who are willing to continue to work hard to earn opportunities in the sky blue jersey.”
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Injury concerns
While the move north is viewed as a positive for his personal growth, there are concerns about the physical toll it could take on the loosehead prop who has endured a torrid run of injuries.
The 24-year-old has missed a chunk of the last two seasons battling toe injuries with fears it could get worse on Ulster’s synthetic surface.
McKellar states that the Waratahs and Rugby Australia will be working closely with Ulster to ensure the prop is well-looked after in that respect but adds that the Irish club will want to do what’s best for him anyway in order for him to play regularly for them.
“What we need to do is make sure we’ve got really close connections and regular communication with the Ulster S and C (strength and conditioning) staff and medical staff,” McKellar told AAP.
“They’re going to want him on the park as often as possible in terms of when they want to pick him, so they won’t want to break him either.
“But it’s going to be something that we’ll need to do in collaboration and work closely together and make sure that ‘Belly’ comes back in one piece.
“He’s been resilient this year, done a lot of work here (to get back).”
Ulster are not the only URC or European club that plays on 4G and artificial surfaces but McKellar is confident Bell will be well-managed.
“Over there, you manage your squad as well. They’ve got big squads over there as well,” said the former Leicester mentor.
“So it’s not like Angus is going to be playing 70 minutes every week. You’ve got 45 to 50 players in your group over there, so there’s a few more games.
“I can only talk from the Premiership. With three of the teams going into administration, the premiership’s 18 rounds now.
“The URC play a few more but they manage their plays well over there, in Ireland in particular.”
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/they-wont-want-to-break-him-waratahs-boss-addresses-angus-bells-injury-concerns-ahead-of-ulster-stint
