A Joe Schmidt non-negotiable and 'friends for life': Angus Bell on Ireland opener

Returning prop Angus Bell is relishing the chance to lock horns with his former Ulster teammates as the Wallabies open their 2026 campaign with gruelling barometer Tests against three European scrummaging heavyweights.

First up is Ireland in Sydney on Saturday week, with eight Ulstermen featuring in Andy Farrell’s 36-player touring squad.

Bell considers his ex-teammates new “friends for life” but insists the gloves will be off at a sold-out Allianz Stadium after coach Joe Schmidt issued his Wallabies squad non-negotiable instructions for the inaugural Nations Championship.

“Joe’s mentioned how we’ve got to win these games coming up. We’ve got to win against Ireland, we’ve got to win against France, and we’ve got to beat the Italians,” Bell said.

Schmidt’s urgency is for good reason after the Wallabies endured the first winless four-Test tour of Europe last November to complete a disappointing 2025 campaign.

With the countdown well and truly on to next year’s home World Cup, Bell already has his game face on following a most fulfilling six-month sabbatical in Belfast.

The NSW Waratahs anchor helped Ulster to last month’s European Challenge Cup final and believes he has returned to Australia a vastly more experienced prop.

“It was just a really cool experience to be able to verse people that I wouldn’t have versed if I didn’t make that decision to go overseas,” said the 50-cap front-rower.

“As a 25-year-old, it was refreshing, something that I needed to do to experience something different and I feel like I’ve come back a better rugby player from doing it.

“So there’s definitely heaps of learnings and it’s going to be interesting going up against them. They’re top fellows. I couldn’t speak any higher of them.

“But obviously we’ve got a pretty hectic 18 months here, with the World Cup coming up, so my full concentration and everything is building towards that.”

Bell said he was chuffed to learn fellow loosehead James Slipper, Australia’s most-capped player with 151 Test appearances, had opted to come out of retirement for the Wallabies’ three July Tests – and maybe beyond.

“Slips was one of my mentors growing up. From when I was first in the squad at 19, he looked after me and taught me what I know,” Bell said.

“So to see Slips being called back in, it’s been awesome. If there’s ever troubles or we’re trying to fix something within the forward pack, we’ve always looked to Slips to help us around those issues.

“It was a big decision for him to come back in. It’s hard to spend time away from your family, especially at that age, but Slips is such an important part of this team and he’ll add so much value.

“That’s a great thing. Now we’ve just got to try and coerce him to stay till next year.”