Tahs prop Bell hitting all the right notes

Bell, a member of the Junior Wallabies side who reached last year's under 20 world championship final, starred in the Waratahs 29-17 Super Rugby win over the Lions in Sydney on Friday.

He showed good speed to score the Tahs opening try after two minutes, and produced another barnstorming run to set up their second seven minutes later.

"I don't think I've ever seen that from a prop. The way he can move is unbelievable for a guy of his size," said Tahs' forwards coach Cockbain, who was part of Australia's 1999 Rugby World Cup-winning squad.

"He's 120 kilos, rock hard. He's a muscly kid and he's fast as well.

"He's up there, as fast as most of our back rowers in terms of metres per second. We know that, we've got hard data on it

"The kid can play, he's got a real sense of the game and for a young guy he (also) scrummages very well."

Bell played cricket before union and also tried his hand at rugby league, but the son of former Wallabies hooker Mark Bell ultimately only had eyes for one sport.

"It was always rugby union," he said. "I just loved the game, and the morale around it.

"I'm privileged to play it at this level and I'm loving every moment of it.

"I've always loved running the ball, it's a great thing to do."

Bell was not always a prop, starting his rugby life as a back-rower.

"I was actually a No.8, but I got vertically challenged and put on a few kilograms that were unaccounted for," Bell said.

"So I moved forward in the scrum and ended up in the front row."

Bell's dad Mark is the Waratahs' scrum coach, although the pair try not to take their work home with them.

"It's a very professional relationship, we don't talk much rugby at home. We try and keep it very separate," Angus said.

"Having him as a resource is awesome and I've learnt so much. That's probably why I've progressed in scrummaging a lot quicker than a lot of others have."

Australian Associated Press