Rugby
Brittany Mitchell, ESPN Assistant Editor 2y

Angus Bell believes players learning despite card numbers

Rugby, Super Rugby

With the lowest number of cards handed out last weekend since Round 3 at just four, and the first red card-free round since Round 4, Waratahs prop Angus Bell believes players throughout Super Rugby Pacific are beginning to get the message World Rugby is sending.

Finding himself on the wrong end of the whistle three weeks ago in the opening match of the inaugural Super Round when he tip-tackled Chiefs captain Sam Cane in just the second minute of the match, Bell says he's learnt from his mistakes after he escaped the judiciary hearing with just a warning.

"Yeah, players are definitely learning," Bell said. "We're in that period now where it's sort of shifting from the red card for foul play being pretty hard to attain, to a red card being pretty easily given for a mistake on the field.

"I don't have a problem with it. For me and my situation I just can't tip tackle, you can't lift anyone, you can't lift legs. In the moment I was trying to be aggressive and lift the leg, which isn't what I should have been doing, you've got to hit and drive and land on top and keep the person on the floor, so for me that's a personal mistake that I made.

"Whether different people around had an effect on that, that's what the jury decided that you know it wasn't all me lifting in tackle, there was some different other factors that led to him landing in that way, but yeah, I think it's a good thing.

"It's taking a bit for players to adapt, but I guess it'll be a learning curve and everyone to get used to it."

A hard hitter in defense, the 21-year-old is known for his aggression and for making bone-crunching tackles. But, after the Waratahs crumbled to a 51-27 loss following his red card absence, Bell is determined to redirect his aggression in order to avoid making the same mistakes again.

"It's just redirecting the aggression. You've got to make sure you're accurate and we always talk at both the Tahs and the Wallabies about accuracy, so having that aggression and that dark side but also being accurate.

"That's something that players I guess have to change. But it's definitely changing and people are getting better at it, and I've definitely learned my lesson."

Despite his red card blip in Melbourne, Bell has produced some of his best rugby to date, with his scrummaging rising to another level, while his ball carrying has given the Waratahs another edge this season. Happy with his game, the prop believes it's new coach Darren Coleman and his team's return to winning that are to thank for his impressive turn of form.

"I think we worked really hard in preseason. DC [Coleman] worked us really hard and said if we work hard early then the rest of the year we'd be able to build cohesion and a culture and an environment of winning.

"To DC's credit he has done that, we've started to win and even though we didn't play very well against Moana, those games last year we probably would have lost, but we held in there, we fought the battle and we fought it all the way to the end to get the win.

"From preseason we've just built a winning culture and an environment where you can be yourself and have fun. So definitely all down to DC."

One of the Waratahs' few standout performers in a disastrous season for the franchise last year, the 21-year-old views the winless 2021 run as a major learning curve as he struggled to find his feet, despite managing to feature in 11 of the Wallabies' Tests to finish the year. But with seven wins in 2022, Bell is finding enjoyment in his rugby again, which he believes is helping lift his game.

"I thought last year was definitely a learning curve for some of the young blokes, they did struggle last year and so did I, but this year's success has been a combination of a lot of things," Bell said.

"It's a big season, a long season, but when you're in an environment like the Waratahs, it's pretty fun and you're always enjoying your rugby. For me personally, enjoying my rugby is the way that I play my best.

"Some performances by the team and me personally haven't been the best to date, but I just keep pushing myself, not thinking about the Wallabies stuff, just keep pushing at the Waratahs for that finals spot.

"We've got some really hard opponents coming up over the next few weeks, so it's going to be a really big three weeks for us, but we're really excited and I'm personally really excited for the challenges."

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