Latest news with #Ex-Wallaby
The 42
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Wrecking ball Angus Bell a major ball-carrying boost for Ulster
THE DOOM AND gloom Ulster fans have been feeling in recent weeks lifted today. It's not that all their worries have suddenly been calmed, but this is an exciting day for the province's supporters. Angus Bell is a world-class player, one of the best loosehead props in the game. Next season, he will be playing for Ulster. It's a major coup for the Irish province, all the more so given that Bell attracted strong interest from other clubs in Europe. The explosive 24-year-old would make most teams better. He is set to arrive at Ulster following the 2025 November Tests when Joe Schmidt's Wallabies will face England, Italy, Ireland, and France. Bell's contract with the province is due to run until the end of the 2025/26 season. Ulster had looked set to head into next season with Eric O'Sullivan, Callum Reid, and Sam Crean as their senior looseheads. O'Sullivan has been capped by Ireland, Reid has played for Emerging Ireland, and the Irish-qualified Crean has arrived from Saracens. Now, Ulster have a marquee player to head up the depth chart. Bell made his Australia debut a month after turning 20. He is still a young player, but he is Australia's first-choice loosehead and already has 36 Test caps. The only men in Ulster's squad with more international experience are 33-year-old captain Iain Henderson, 35-year-old hooker Rob Herring, and 29-year-old wing Jacob Stockdale. Bell has put that body of work with the Wallabies together despite injury troubles in the last three years. The Waratahs prop was sidelined for chunks of the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons due to a recurring toe issue. The second time it struck in 2023, Bell had a bone removed from his foot, but even that didn't resolve the issue. At one stage last year, Bell thought he would have to retire. Ex-Wallaby Stephen Hoiles suggested that if Bell did get fit again, he should move to the back row – where he had played in his school days – to avoid the pressure scrummaging puts on feet. However, cutting-edge surgery to essentially remodel Bell's foot was successful and the dynamic prop finally appears to have put those woes behind him. Bell has had serious travails with injury. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Bell has been fully fit and firing this year in Super Rugby and though the Waratahs have struggled in Super Rugby, the prop is set to be a key figure for the Wallabies this summer against the Lions. Advertisement He wasn't at his best on last autumn's tour of the Northern Hemisphere, looking fatigued and missing out on the final game against Ireland. But Bell's best is very, very good. He is a wrecking ball of a carrier. At around 6ft 3ins and 125kg, he is a big man but he moves well. His acceleration is a big point of difference. He brings blunt power into contact when there's traffic in front of him, but he has the agility to beat defenders with flashes of footwork. Bell has a dynamic fend and he's skillful with ball in hand. He has even shown off his grubber-kicking ability while playing for the Barbarians. Every prop needs to nail their scrummaging and Bell is seen as a solid operator in that area. He has had some tough outings for the Wallabies but that's the reality of Test rugby. Bell, the son of once-capped Wallabies hooker Mark, generally uses his power well in the set-piece. Working with former international Dan Palmer at the Waratahs this season has surely been helpful, while Schmidt brought legendary Kiwi scrum guru Mike Cron into the Wallabies set-up last year. Given Bell's history with foot injuries, the sheer technical expertise of Cron must be invaluable. Defensively, the Aussie loosehead brings power in the tackle and can jackal at the breakdown too. But it is Bell's ball-carrying prowess that is most exciting for Ulster, especially given that Northampton number eight Juarno Augustus is coming in to provide more of it. Augustus has been an explosive carrier for Northampton for the last four seasons since joining from the Stormers in his native South Africa. The 27-year-old's progress was recognised by his inclusion in the latest Springboks alignment camp, highlighting that he is in Rassie Erasmus' wider plans as the 2027 World Cup comes into view. Augustus, who signed a three-year deal with the province, will join a promising crop of Ulster back rows that also includes key man Nick Timoney. The likes of David McCann, James McNabney, Lorcan McLoughlin, and academy flanker Bryn Ward will hope to continue making progress next season. Juarno Augustus is another powerful ball-carrier. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO There is no getting away from the fact that Ulster have had a miserable 2024/25 campaign. Finishing 14th in the URC and winning one game in the Champions Cup is not the standard the province aspires to. Richie Murphy's men will be playing in the Challenge Cup next season and perhaps that will provide a chance for this young squad to improve without as much intense pressure. Still, they want to be in the Champions Cup again as soon as possible. Finding the resources to bring in Bell was important, but the long-term project in Ulster revolves around developing a crop of homegrown players they believe have the potential to be like Trimble, Bowe, Best, Cave, and Ferris before them. It looks like head coach Murphy will continue to back his 20-year-old son Jack to steer the ship at out-half. This time last year, Ulster were announcing the signing of Irish-qualified New Zealand native Aidan Morgan on a two-year deal in the hope that he was the answer at number 10 after they allowed Billy Burns to move on. There were flashes of individual attacking brilliance from Morgan early in his time with Ulster, but he's still only 23 and never looked comfortable or confident in leading the team. The former Hurricanes man has now left Ulster by mutual consent. That leaves Murphy – who only joined the Ulster academy this season – as the main man at out-half, with Jake Flannery and James Humphreys also on the books. 25-year-old Flannery has only played four times this season due to injury, while 24-year-old Humphreys, the son of IRFU performance director David, has made his first five senior appearances off the bench. Aidan Morgan is leaving Ulster this summer. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO There may be wiggle room for Ulster to add a more experienced out-half if someone becomes available, although it's obviously late in the day now. Murphy, who was playing for the Ireland U20s last year, has done well in his first season. He broke into the team back in December and has since established himself as the first-choice, impressing with his kicking, passing, and decision-making. Like most young out-halves, the physical challenge of stepping up from U20s level is notable but Ulster have great faith in Murphy. The backline options outside Murphy remain extremely talented and very dangerous. That hasn't been an issue for Ulster in recent years. Stockdale is playing excellent rugby, Mike Lowry can be lethal, pace man Rob Baloucoune just needs better injury luck, Zac Ward is a growing force, and Werner Kok is a physical weapon. Centres Stuart McCloskey, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, and Ben Carson also have lots of quality. It should help all of those backs that Bell and Augustus will be winning collisions next season.
Perth Now
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Cooper aiming to leave with Japanese club promotion
Wallabies veteran Quade Cooper has kept alive his hopes of departing Japan Rugby League One with another promotion. The 37-year-old playmaker had a leading role as Hanazono Liners beat Green Rockets Tokatsu 42-19 to set up a final day showdown against section champions Shuttles Aichi. Cooper, who was Division Two Player of the Year when he led the Liners to promotion three years ago, announced recently he is parting company with the Osaka-based club at the end of the season. His side needed to beat the Green Rockets on Saturday to have any chance of making the promotion/relegation series. As well as setting up two tries by manipulating the defence with trademark short passes, Cooper also kicked five from five, one being the conversion of the try scored by his long-time halves partner, Will Genia. Cooper's success contrasted with the fortunes of another ex-Wallaby flyhalf, with Bernard Foley missing a conversion from a wide angle in the final play of Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay's thrilling 29-29 draw with Saitama Wild Knights. While the result could cost the Wild Knights top seeding for the playoffs, second will still earn Robbie Deans and his men a bye in the first round of the elimination series, with the Spears now likely to have to strip for the first weekend after dropping to third. Defending champions Brave Lupus Tokyo returned to the top of the table after a 45-28 win over Sagamihara Dynaboars, while Tokyo Sungoliath became the final qualifier for the playoffs, wrapping up sixth courtesy of a 43-34 win over Black Rams Tokyo. Ex-Wallaby backrower Liam Gill had an unusual afternoon, scoring two tries and setting up two others, but the 32-year-old was also one of a trio from the Black Rams who were yellow carded, which all but sealed their fate. Samu Kerevi scored the 10th try from his last nine appearances, but it was not enough to prevent another defeat for Urayasu D-Rocks on a madcap afternoon where they shared 17 tries with Shizuoka BlueRevs in a 62-52 defeat. D-Rocks will be joined in the post-season relegation series by Mie Heat, whose last hopes were ended despite two tries by Wallaby fullback Tom Banks, during Sunday's 38-30 defeat by Verblitz. The win by Steve Hansen's men, which pulled them clear of the relegation zone, featured the 11th try of the season by code-hopping former NRL star Joseph Manu. The afternoon's other match saw Dave Rennie's Kobe Steelers beat Yokohama Eagles 47-29.
