NSW Waratahs coach Darren Coleman has shed light on the decision to move prop Angus Bell to the bench ahead of Saturday's clash with the Blues.
Bell, earmarked as a future Wallabies captain, will come off the bench as Coleman opts to go with Hayden Thompson-Stringer at loosehead.
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"I always want to start," Bell said when asked about the move to the reserves.
"I'll let Darren explain that. You can hammer him about that."
Coach Coleman opened up on the surprise selection call, saying Bell finishing the game was more important than starting.
"Belly is the premier prop in this club and will be a long-term franchise player for us," Coleman said in a statement.
"He always plays the majority of minutes in our loosehead rotation and that will continue this week.
"The only change will be that it will be the back end of the game and not from the start.
"This is designed to provide us with an injection of impact as we look to finish the match strongly."
Coleman pulled a similar strategy last week, moving Tom Ross into the starting side as Harry Johnson-Holmes came on in the 32nd minute.
Bell will finish the game alongside debutant and Two Blues hooker Jay Fonokalafi, rushed into the squad after a series of concussions to hookers Theo Fourie and Mahe Vailanu
"Darren called him and he was knee deep in concrete. It's a feel good story, he's playing the Blues who are one of the better provincial sides in the world and you go from laying concrete to playing one of the better teams going around," he said.
"It's an awesome story but he's up for it. He's trained the past couple of weeks and he's pretty dynamic. It'll be good for him so very happy for him and his family."
Hard-edge flanker Lachie Swinton also limped out of training on Thursday with an apparent knee issue.
"It's all good. He's always tinny," Bell said of Swinton.
"Swinno's always good."
