Bell to sit out Super Rugby season, World Cup chances on edge
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Wallabies prop Angus Bell is facing a second consecutive season on the sidelines and a race against time to make his first World Cup squad after re-injuring his foot in the opening round of Super Rugby.
Bell ruptured the ligament in the big toe on his right foot in the first half of the Waratahs’ opening-round loss to the Brumbies in Sydney on Friday night.
Scans over the weekend revealed it was the same injury that ended his Test season last year. He faces four to six months on the sidelines and was considering further surgery on the foot, the Waratahs said.
It is a crushing blow for the young loosehead, who made a statement in the 20-minutes he played at Allianz Stadium.
The Waratahs will likely call on Tom Lambert and Sateki Latu to step up in Bell’s absence. Lambert made his debut off the bench on Friday night, while Latu impressed in the Waratahs A side’s 50-24 demolition of the Brumby Runners on Saturday. Wallaby Harry Johnson-Holmes is still a couple of weeks off returning from injury.
Meanwhile, senior Waratahs and Brumbies players were full of praise for “slippery” rookie winger Max Jorgensen, who burned experienced Test forwards Rob Valetini and Allan Alaalatoa to score the first of his two tries on debut on Friday night.
“He got me good. I just folded around the corner. I got him too high so I just slipped off,” Alaalatoa said.
“But yeah, he’s good. [Rugby Australia] have done well there to get him down to NSW. It was awesome for him to get his debut and I am sure we are going to see a lot more of him going forward.”
Jorgensen was low-key after the match but conceded the moment, following in the footsteps of his Wallaby-capped father, Peter Jorgensen, was the realisation of a childhood dream.
“Feels unreal to pull on the sky blue for the first time, especially in front of a home crowd, in front of my friends and family, doing them proud. It’s just an amazing feeling,” he said.
“I’m getting more confident every game I play and I’m always backing myself, so there’s no doubt in my mind.”
Jorgensen’s exploits - a first and second-half try and four line breaks - could not plaster over the fact the Waratahs had failed to live up to their own expectations on Friday, succumbing to the finesse and pace of their rivals to extend their losing streak against the Brumbies to 10 games and five long years.
But Jorgensen’s performance, while not perfect, was cause for quiet celebration, as much for his individual flare as for the arrival of a genuine talent.
