‘It's going to be like a storm coming': Ella returns to take on the Lions
Nearly a quarter of a century after helping guide Australia to a series win over the British and Irish Lions as an assistant to Rod Macqueen in 2001, Glen Ella will get another crack at the tourists as part of the coaching set-up for the First Nations & Pasifika XV.
The combined XV will take on the Lions at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on July 22, boasting an all-star coaching team. Wallabies legend Toutai Kefu is the head coach, with New Zealand's Tana Umaga, former Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui and former Wallabies prop Sekope Kepu joining Ella in supporting roles.
Ella last coached at Test level in 2017, when he travelled to Argentina to help close friend Eddie Jones prepare England for their summer tour. Away from rugby, the former Wallabies fullback has been enjoying life in Nowra, running his own business and casting fishing lines with close friends.
But if you want an indication of what else is important to him, you need look no further than a sticker on the rear window of his car which features a South Sydney Rabbitohs logo in the colours of the Australian Aboriginal flag, showcasing his lifelong love of South Sydney and his continued commitment to representing his culture.
All of which means that when he took the call from Rugby Australia to canvas his interest in the First Nations & Pasifika XV, there was only ever going to be one answer.
'The players will never get an opportunity like this again, probably in their lives. I think the Pasifika team and First Nations team will be very passionate,' Ella said.
'Normally in a game you'd swap your jumpers with the Lions, but I'm thinking, no, keep those jumpers instead of giving them away. They're representing their countries, they're representing their communities and they're representing their families.
'We keep on saying it, but this has never been done before. What we want to do is make sure that when we play the game in Melbourne, whether we win or lose, that we do our countries proud.'
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