Angus Bell is set to face Ireland in Sydney on 4 July, only weeks after leaving Ulster. The Australia prop could come up against former club team-mates after ten Ulster players were named in Ireland’s squad for the opening Nations Championship fixtures.
Bell spent around eight months with Ulster on a short-term move from the Waratahs before departing after the Challenge Cup final defeat by Montpellier in Bilbao. He has described his time in Belfast as personally meaningful, pointing to the cultural similarities he felt between Northern Ireland and Australia and the close relationships he built there.
The Ulster group in Ireland’s squad includes backs Robert Baloucoune, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and Nathan Doak, plus forwards Tom O'Toole, Tom Stewart, Cormac Izuchukwu and Nick Timoney. Zac Ward and Bryn Ward were also added after late injuries, though it remains uncertain how many of the Ulster contingent will play in Sydney.
The fixture also carries a coaching subplot through Joe Schmidt, whose Irish rugby background remains a point of connection with the Wallabies. Bell also credited his United Rugby Championship spell with broadening his experience, especially at scrum time, because of the variety of opponents he faced across domestic and European competition.
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