Angus Bell has had plenty of run-ins with Ireland since his 2020 debut, but after seven years at the Waratahs, the 48-capped Wallaby is about to see a new side to the Emerald Isle.
The prop will link up with Ulster following the conclusion of the November Internationals, but the challenge comes at the right time, and with the Irish side likely set to feature some of his future teammates.
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“I've had seven really, really good years at the Waratahs,” Bell reflected to reporters on Monday.
“Grew up watching them, I remember being at a pub with my parents having dinner when I watched the Tahs win the final when I was 12, so I've loved my time in Australia. I just felt it was the right time to experience some change. For me, I think change is the spice of life.
“[I’ve] been in contact with a fair few of them [Ulster players] and a lot of the players actually have reached out, which has been quite nice and obviously shows just how good of blokes they are.
“But obviously this weekend leading into it, as an Australian, we have one job and that's to represent the Wallabies and get the win.
“Playing a test match is the pinnacle of anyone's career, and there's no bigger one than playing at Aviva against Ireland.”
Bell has had particular reverence for Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter, the Wallaby growing up watching the two Irish props catapult to superstardom under Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell.
“Mate, they're world-class players,” Bell said about the two Irish veterans.
“Tadhg Furlong's been doing it for so long. I was young, 13, 14, 15, while I was watching Tadhg run around, and he was in the Lions at the time too.
“Those two exceptionally strong players, great around the field, understand the shape within the island and their systems, and even just versus them this year at the Lions, they were both pivotal in their result as well. They're probably the pinnacle of front row play at the moment.”
While Bell will always be a Wallaby first and foremost, he believes the chance to travel and stay in a new part of the world in Belfast will not only benefit his rugby but also his maturity and development.
“I know it's colder than Australia, that's for sure,” Bell joked.
“[Going overseas], you learn, you meet different people, you're under new coaches.
“It's all about learning for me. [The] thought for me [is], experiencing something different and getting away from Australia briefly, hopefully to come back into the environment [better] would be great.
“I’m still just 25, so just learning off those people around the world, and then obviously the URC is a pretty top competition with top players; it wasn't a really hard decision.
“It was something that I needed in my career and thought would be beneficial, it was just that bit of change.
“There's such rich history there [in Belfast], which is again intriguing for me personally, and I just was excited at the opportunity.
“I had a sabbatical clause in my contract, and that's been there for a while, so I signed really long term after U20s.
“Getting something different, being around new players, would be something that will not reinvent my career, but something that's just going to be a bit of a change.
“I'm super excited, and I know I'm going to enjoy it; it'll be awesome."
