Whilst they may be used to competing against each other, Wallabies Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou are on the same page as they push for a Wallabies return.
The pair have become accustomed to each other as they go through rehab for their respective long-term injuries.
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Bell is dealing with a reoccurrence of a foot injury that derailed his 2022 whilst Tupou ruptured his Achilles tendon just six minutes into his stint off the bench against Ireland in November.
The departing Red has been making the trip down to Sydney as the Wallabies takeover his recovery, with the two slugging it out together in the weight room and on the Watt bike.
Tupou is the relaxed one of the pair, with Bell labelling himself as the 'uptight' member of the two.
It has brought them closer together as they bounce off each other and share the tough moments.
"I've got really close with 'Nela over this past nine months," Bell told reporters. "He's one of my best mates.
"So it's a great relationship. It's funny, it's always funny, but it's good that we can both do things that will put us in the right stead for the World Cup and get hopefully on that plane both of us.
"...‘Nela are I are quite different in every aspect of life and that’s why we get along so well, opposites attract. Nela is very laissez-faire and I’m quite uptight so we both meet in the middle it’s quite good. Training with him is unreal, you go hard with someone and go have a coffee with him afterwards. It’s great for the mental space and mixing up the training as well."
Tupou and Bell have been widely viewed and positioned as the future of the Wallabies front row, with Tupou set to become the face of the Rebels when he arrives in Melbourne in 2024.
Neither man have started a World Cup game. Tupou came off the bench behind Allan Alaalatoa whilst Angus Bell was yet to make his Super Rugby debut in 2019.
Having trained alongside the 'Tongan Thor', Bell remains confident Tupou will be back at his best, with the tighthead eyeing off a July return.
“Taniela is Bulgarian squatting 170kgs on his Instagram so I think he’s doing pretty well," he remarked.
“He hasn’t lost his strength. Taniela is doing well. I think he’s running sometime soon so after a big Achilles injury it’s a huge and massive milestone so he’s ticking all the boxes and still the Taneila we all know.
“It’s exciting to see him go up against the best of the world because we saw when we played France he destroyed their scrum so it’s going to be interesting. When Nela is on, he is the best in the world so it’ll be cool to watch."
