1
Angus Bell chasing ‘world-class’ status after breakout year in Wallaby gold
On the back of a breakout season in Wallaby gold, which saw him replace James Slipper as Australia’s first-choice loosehead prop, Angus Bell is chasing “world-class” status ahead of another big year with the Waratahs and likely the national team.
ADVERTISEMENT
Bell, 23, was a shining light for the Wallabies during an otherwise dark and difficult campaign in 2023. The front-rower was relentless with his work rate around the field, whether it be in attack, defence or of course the set-piece.
The New South Welshman wasn’t picked to play against the Springboks in Pretoria last year, but after being named on the bench a week later to face Los Pumas in Sydney, Bell never looked back.
Bell was injected into the starting side alongside star tighthead Allan Alaalatoa against the All Blacks in Melbourne and went on to start in all of the remaining Tests in 2023.
But The Aussies’ ambitions go even higher.
“I was happy that I stayed uninjured but it’s a team sport so I wasn’t really happy with the results,” Bell told Nine’s Wide World of Sports.
“My biggest thing is I’d like to be regarded as being world-class and being consistently world-class.
“There’s always stuff you can improve on. You’re never perfect. So I’ll just keep that hunger to be better and keep getting better.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Following a career-best season at Test level, Bell has been recognised with a nomination for the coveted John Eales Medal – which is presented to the Wallabies’ best player for that calendar year.
Bell has been nominated along with teammates Mark Nawaqanitawase, Rob Valetini and Will Skelton. Marika Koroibete, who is the fifth and final nominee, is looking to win the prestigious honour for a third time.
The nominees for other major awards have also been revealed, including the Wallaroos’ Player of the Year and the Shaun McKay Medals for the best players in both the women’s and men’s sevens sides.
Ash Marsters, Emily Chancellor, Eva Karpani, Georgina Friedrichs and Maya Stwart are in the running for the Wallaroos award.
ADVERTISEMENT
Try-scoring machine Maddison Levi, who was nominated for last year’s World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Award, would have to be considered the front-runner for the women’s Shaun McKay medal after an incredible year.
Levi is up against captain Charlotte Caslick and Alysia Leafau-Fakosilea for the accolade, while Dietrich Roache, Henry Paterson and Nathan Lawson are in the mix for the men’s award.
Rugby Australia Awards nominees
John Eales medal – Angus Bell, Marika Koroibete, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Rob Valetini, Will Skelton
Buildcorp Wallaroos Player of the Year – Ash Marsters, Emily Chancellor, Eva Karpani, Georgina Friedrichs, Maya Stewart
Shaun McKay Medals
Australia women’s sevens – Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea, Charlotte Caslick, Maddison Levi
Australia men’s sevens – Dietrich Roache, Henry Paterson, Nathan Lawson
Comments on RugbyPass
Not surprising, they tend to get very carried away with themselves very quickly. I’ve never seen a team so devastated at the final whistle than those irish players in that QF, you’d think they had lost the final.
2 Go to commentsJust a roundabout way of claiming to great fun. Self -praise is no praise, frenchie.
1 Go to commentsIreland have played the ABs since the first game 1905 a total of 37 times. The ABs have won 32 and Ireland 5 times. If we look since the first WC, then they have played each other 28 times. All Ireland’s 5 wins have come since 2016. So the ABs won 23 games. Since Ireland won their first game in 2016, they have won 5 and the ABs 4 times. Fairly even. Whatever anyone says, beating ABs consistently is bloody difficult, and when you manage to win a few, show respect to them. Period.
178 Go to comments‘Mom'.
1 Go to commentsA specialist in hitting smaller guys hard and late. Serial cheap shot merchant who deserves more than the usual token sanction for such actions.
1 Go to commentsI like to see the Crusaders lose as much as the next non-Crusaders fan, but the fact that most of their best players have not been available this year is being hand waved away like it shouldn’t effect them. It’s no coincidence that their first dominant performance came when they had more of their best players back. This is not rocket science. If they can stay fit their team at the business end of the season will include Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett, Quentin Strange, Ethan Blackadder and Cullen Grace in the forwards - most of whom have barely, or not played this year. That is an outstanding pack that have not played together this season. McLeod, Havili, Aumua, Reece, and Halfpenny will be a very different prospect behind their first choice pack as well. Having said all that Penney’s record is scratchy at best, but given the players that have left and their injury list I’m reserving judgement. Penney’s appointment, a bit like Foz, has a similar stench of the incumbent having too much say in his replacement. They are lacking a truly high quality and experienced 10 which will make it hard for them to go the whole way IMO, but the list of teams who would want to play them in the finals will be very short.
17 Go to commentsWhere’s this people's champion come from? Irish people yes….other people? Their arrogance has become breathtaking. Not tested? Oh dear.
178 Go to commentsIf a coach having Crusaders heritage is so sacrosanct, why did the Crusaders not pursue Vern Cotter as Scott Robertson’s replacement?
17 Go to commentsFinau is definitely operating on razor thin margins. He hasn’t done anything wrong… yet. But a player going into contact 6 inches lower than he is expecting, without him even knowing, will end in disaster. You can imagine a situation where the pass dies on Edmed and he has to bend down a little lower to catch it at the last second. Finau’s hit would have been catastrophic. The margins are just too fine. He needs to study how PSDT, at 6’7”, manages to drop his tackle height and exert just as much force with close zero danger of taking someone’s head off. Given how poorly NZ has adapted to lower their tackle height, and that this issue which has plagued the ABs for years and played a big part in them not winning the World Cup, I thought NZR and all SR coaches would be prioritising sorting this issue out. If I was Razor I would be on the phone to Clayton MacMillan and Samipeni Finau saying exactly that. Finau is a monster and shaping up to be the closest thing to Kaino since Kaino, but I wouldn’t risk selecting him for the ABs at the moment.
18 Go to commentsThe surprising stat I saw in the Blues game when showing Sotutu equaling the Blues forwards record was that Akira has not scored a try since 2019. Now my memory is pretty bad when it comes to those sorts of the things, I can remember his AB try though, but anyway I can’t see I can remember his last blues touchdown or any in recent years. Surely that still has to be a bogus stat. Maybe excludes SRA games?
3 Go to commentsDude to me looks pretty fast for a big man, nearly 2m and 130kg, in his workout vid he was signed off. Possibly a bit slow on his reads movement wise though, but I’ve not got anything to compare him to. Hope the dude nails it and finds his sport, could have been a devastating lock in rugby if he wasn’t a footballer growing up.
4 Go to commentsWell, does that make it every year Moana has lost it’s best player the following year? Normally it’s more immediate I guess, at least there best player had a follow up year this time.
1 Go to commentsFinally, an answer to Dan Carter.
1 Go to commentsNever read such tripe. He was hit just as he passed the ball which was reviewed and deemed legal by yes the Australian TMO and referee
18 Go to commentsTerrible idea…will be too hot, no one will travel, fan zones will be promised nice cold guinness and last minute will get water. Also how do you squeeze this into the already busy battle rhythm, Prem, summer series, 6 nations & world cup….if, and its a big IF you’re going to do this, do it in a rugby nation.
2 Go to commentsWell let’s hope world rugby doesn't read some of this nonsense, because next on the agenda will be…“players will only tackle other players deemed to be in their weight class, and only with moderate velocity”.
18 Go to commentsI was never allowed to adjust boots, or ever replaced, while I was playing and staying on the field. If I had issues, I had to go to the sideline and fix them myself. Then I would ask the ref to get back in. That would really make you deal with it FAST!
6 Go to commentsGreat point. It would be terrible to have a card for poor tackling cost the all blacks a world cup. Oh hi all blacks captain Sam Cane, how you going?
18 Go to commentsI like Andy’s critical approach to all hot issues especially when it comes to the rugby big “bosses”. However, sorry Andy, I don’t support your “we shouldn’t be questioning the integrity of Karl Dickson or any other official”. May I ask why? They do have a lot of responsibility, but they are people like us with all their sins and weaknesses. We have to respect their decision during the games, but why they became untouchable afterwards and people cannot even criticize them and the ones, who does express their concerns, got punished for publicly analyzing their mistakes and asking questions. If they believe they did right, there shouldn’t be a problem for any of the refs to answer these “questions” publicly. I don’t really remember such cases. However, I do remember how Craig Joubert shown his running skills in 2015 or Pascal Gauzere shined in Cardiff in 2021. I do believe that Rassie, as anybody else, had a full right to share his vision of Nic Berry’s performance the same year. I do not support the hate in any form especially in public one, but creating the cast of untouchable refs and rugby bosses is not for me. As for Karl, he had all means to question his appointment for the game and since I don’t now whether he did it, blaming just RFU wouldn’t be quite correct at this moment. I love the game of rugby and almost every time I watch it I don’t support any team, I just wanna see the good game and fair referring. Sorry, Karl. last Saturday you got my Craig Joubert”s award of the round. It is up to Karl to prove that I am wrong, not to Andy or RFU’s corporate bla-bla-bla. Something like that…
1 Go to commentswell remember the blues had a guy called jed rowlands for a season. remember scott took his coaching team with him give him time
17 Go to comments