Mark Ella

Ella was again overlooked for national selection for Australia’s one-off Bledisloe Cup Test in 1979 against New Zealand, which Australia won 12-6 in a tryless Test.

Ella possessed a distinguishing trait of instantaneously igniting a backline movement. His vision and ability to ‘read the play’ is evidenced by his much-vaunted passing game. Gareth Edwards notes, “Next, he wastes no strides holding the ball he does not want to use, and flips it instantly on its way towards the wide open space down the touchline where danger-men like David Campese prowl...” Continuing his appraisal of Ella in The Scotsman, Mair wrote: “In his deft handling, the ball is often on in a fraction of a second.” The London Observer described Ella as "the detonator which explodes the brilliance of the Australian backs at critical moments."

Throughout his career, Ella's ability to ‘keep the ball alive’ resulted in many remarkable tries. Such “faultless positional play in support,” resulted in a continuity of play which was regarded by many to have tremendous entertainment value. In 100 Great Rugby Players, Gareth Edwards concludes his writings on Ella by stating: “In this book, we are mainly concerned with players’ outstanding ability to play the game, but it is worth adding here that Mark Ella provided tremendous entertainment to spectators, as well as demonstrating his skills.”

In 2013 Australian sports magazine Inside Rugby named its four Australian Invincibles – a rugby union equivalent of rugby league's Immortals. Mark Ella was named alongside Col Windon, Ken Catchpole and David Campese as the first Invincibles of Australian rugby.

Ella works at NITV, Australia's free-to-air Indigenous television station. In 2011 he became Executive Producer and Head of NITV Sport, where "highlighting Indigenous sporting achievement has been a driving force behind the ... Barefoot Sports [program]."

In January 2010 Ella commenced work with the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council as sports and death manager.

In 2007 he published his eponymous autobiography, co-written with journalist Bret Harris.

Ella is now a director of the Sports and Entertainment Group. In 2005 he was honoured as one of the inaugural five inductees into the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame. In 1997 he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.

In 2002 former Welsh eightman Eddie Butler, who played against Ella in 1984, ranked Ella at number one in his list of the 10 best fly-halves in the history of rugby union. In 2003 Butler called Ella "My all-time favourite [player]' and asserted he was '... by a long way the most influential player of his generation. Just took the passing game and the support game and the reading game and just stretched, stretched them into new areas.'" In 2020, former England flyhalf Stuart Barnes ranked Ella the third greatest five-eighth of all-time, behind All Black Dan Carter and Wales' Phil Bennett.

In his first autobiography On a Wing and a Prayer (1991) former Australian winger David Campese called Ella "the best rugby player I have ever known or seen." This was a contention he reiterated in My Game Your Game (1994) by calling Ella, "The greatest player I have ever seen, or had the pleasure of playing alongside."

Standing flat demands exceptional ball handling skills, which were a hallmark of Ella's game. Ella's dependable hands were lauded by former Scottish rugby international Norman Mair in The Scotsman: "Ella has hands so adhesive that when he fumbled a ball against Scotland (in 1984) you would not have been surprised to see those Australians of the appropriate religious persuasion cross themselves."

Mair concluded his appraisal of Ella's form in the famous 1984 Grand Slam tour in The Scotsman, stating: “Nothing about the football of the likable Ella excels his backing up. His ability to materialise in a given spot is of the spirit world.” The extent to which Ella supported his teammates has been gauged by Gareth Edwards who wrote that, "In rugby the word 'link-man' is almost a cliché, yet it is the term I must choose to sum up Mark's gifts." Edwards continues writing that:

In 1984 questions were asked of Mark's suitability to lead the Wallabies and so the Queenslander Andrew Slack was given the captaincy instead. After a narrow defeat against the All Blacks the Wallabies toured the UK and achieved victory in all 4 tests. Mark achieved a "Grand Slam" by scoring a try in every test match of the series, something that he had also accomplished on the 1977/78 Australian Schoolboys tour. At age 25, Ella stunned the rugby world by announcing his retirement, turning down many big money offers in the process.

In 1984 Australian fullback Roger Gould rated Ella "with Brendan Moon as the best Australian player I’ve seen." Michael Hawker, who played with Ella at inside centre said that "Mark Ella was one of the greatest players– or probably the greatest player– I’ve ever seen." He also contended that Ella changed precepts on how the game could be played. Simon Poidevin wrote in his autobiography For Love Not Money (1992) that, "Mark Ella remains the most talented Rugby player I have ever seen."

He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1984, and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1987. He received a Centenary Medal and an Australian Sports Medal in 2001. In 2013, Ella was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.

In 1980 Australia's incumbent five-eighth, Tony Melrose, turned professional to play rugby league. Following this, Ella was selected for the 1980 Australia rugby union tour of Fiji. Ella was a surprise omission at five-eighth for Australia's one-off Test against Fiji in 1980, after Queensland five-eighth Paul McLean was selected at fullback against Fiji. However, Sydney University's five-eighth Michael Hawker was chosen ahead of Ella for the five-eighth position.

In 1980 the Australia Wallabies retained the Bledisloe Cup with a 2-1 series victory over the New Zealand All Blacks. The 1980 Bledisloe Cup Test series victory was the Wallabies first three-Test series victory over the All Blacks since 1949, and their first three-Test series victory against the All Blacks on Australian soil since 1934.

Ella played against the All Blacks in their first touring match against Sydney that was drawn 13-13, in which Ella received the man of the match award. Prior to Australia's first Test against New Zealand in 1980, incumbent Australian outside center Andrew Slack withdrew from the Australian side due to injury. The selectors picked three former players from the 1977/78 Australian Schoolboys to comprise Australia's mid-field - Mark Ella at five-eighth, Michael Hawker at inside centre, and Michael O'Connor at outside centre. O'Connor was originally slated to play on the wing outside of Slack.

Prior to Australia's third Test against New Zealand in 1980, Queensland five-eighth Paul McLean played in a historic Queensland victory over New Zealand (9-3), thus challenging Ella for Test selection. However, Ella was retained for the third Test against New Zealand with McLean selected on the bench.

The third Test against New Zealand in 1980 contained one of the most famous moments of Mark Ella's rugby career - his "around-the-body-pass." Ella's biographer Bret Harris documents that:

Following Australia's famous victory over New Zealand in 1980, Ella was dropped from the Australian side for Queensland five-eighth Paul McLean following Queensland's dominance over New South Wales in their interstate contests during 1981.

Ella made his debut tour with the Wallabies on the 1979 Australia rugby union tour of Argentina. He would later make his Test debut for Australia during the 1980 Bledisloe Cup Test series, in which the Wallabies defeated the All Blacks two games to one - the first three-Test series victory Australia against New Zealand since 1949, the first series victory over the All Blacks on Australian soil since 1934, and the first occasion the Wallabies successfully retained the Bledisloe Cup. In 1982, Ella was made captain of the Australia national rugby union team and he would go on to captain the Wallabies on 10 occasions from 1982-1983. Ella captained a depleted Australian team on the 1982 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand, which the Wallabies would lose one game to two against the All Blacks. However, Australia scored 316 points in 14 matches on tour, including 47 tries. Ella is perhaps most famous for his performances on the 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland, during which Australia achieved rugby union's Grand Slam by defeating the Home Nations in four consecutive Tests, with Ella scoring one try in each Test.

Ella came into contention for national selection during the 1979 Ireland rugby union tour of Australia that included two Tests. On 26 May 1979, Ella played for New South Wales in Ireland’s third tour game which NSW lost 12-16. Ella also played for Sydney in Ireland’s seventh tour game, which Sydney won 16-12. Irish captain and flanker Fergus Slattery stated, following the tour, that Mark Ella was the Australian five-eighth who troubled Ireland the most.

Following Australia's 1979 Bledisloe Cup victory, Bob Templeton replaced Dave Brockhoff as coach of the Australia national rugby union team. With Australia scoring one try in their past three Tests, Templeton selected Ella for the 1979 Australia rugby union tour of Argentina. Ella made his debut for the Wallabies during their second touring match against Interior on 16 October 1979, scoring a try in a 47-12 win. Ella played in Australia's fourth touring match against Rosario, which Australia won 21-13.

Rugby league player Wally Lewis, who played rugby union with Ella in the 1977/78 Australian Rugby Union Schoolboys side, has called Ella the best player he's seen in rugby union or rugby league. Dual international Michael O’Connor, who played with Ella at inside centre, outside centre and wing for Australia, considers Ella the best player he ever played with – in rugby league or rugby union. In his biography The Best of Both Worlds (1991) O'Connor is quoted saying of Ella that: 'Mark Ella was a genius. He was the best player I played with or against in both codes. He could sum up a situation instinctively... If I said to Mark “Okay let's run it”, no problem– the next moment you'd have the ball in your hands... I don't think I’ve ever called for the ball from Mark and not received it.' In Ella: The Definitive Biography (2007), O'Connor further added that: ‘I still think he is the best player I played outside of. I enjoyed playing outside him. Such good service. Good, quick ball. You knew playing outside Mark something was on every time. Have a crack. You won’t die wondering.’

Mark Gordon Ella, AM (born 5 June 1959) is an Australian former rugby union footballer. Ella played at flyhalf/five-eighth and was capped by the Wallabies 25 times, captaining Australia on 10 occasions.

In the 57th minute of the Test, Ella created a try for Australian outside centre Michael O'Connor by looping his inside centre Michael Hawker.