Bell was the best player on the field in the opening quarter, scrummaging strongly, tossing defenders around and offloading for Max Jorgensen’s try. It would have been a delight for Jones, who was watching on in the stands.

Waratahs coach Darren Coleman also cut a forlorn figure when asked about Bell and the prospect of losing him for a lengthy period.

“That is a massive blow, if that’s the case,” Coleman said.

“We are holding out a bit of hope; he’s getting scans. But he felt very similar to when he did it in the England Test. It is horrible news.”

With Wallabies prop Harry Johnson-Holmes not ready for a return, the Waratahs’ already shallow depth at prop will be sorely tested if Bell is lost for any stretch of time. His departure on Friday night resulted in a dominant Waratahs scrum almost immediately being in trouble against the Brumbies.

The Waratahs now face four straight away fixtures. In a stroke of good luck, they take on Fiji in Melbourne next week at Super Round and avoid a trip to Fiji and its torturous heat.

Holloway said the Tahs would regroup after the morale-sapping defeat at home to the Brumbies.

“It was disappointing – we had that one circled in the calendar, but as DC [Coleman] said, we weren’t anywhere near our best, so we need to take confidence from that, go back to our process and get better on Monday,” Holloway said.

“We have seen what Fiji have been doing in the trials – they’re dangerous – so we have to review hard, lick our wounds and go again.”

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The Brumbies proved their class with a powerhouse defensive effort, particularly at the breakdown, and it showed the Waratahs where they need to be better if they want the star back line to make an impact.

“What Lord [Brumbies assistant coach Laurie Fisher] does with their breakdown and D [defence] is unbelievable,” Holloway said. “He is a great coach, and you can see the way they play.

“They just attack our breakdown and get pay from it. We weren’t where we needed to be, and we paid for it. But we will come back Monday and get back on the horse. It is only round one.”