2 Jun 2014

Hooker Moore to captain Wallabies

5:20 pm on 2 June 2014

Australia's most-capped hooker Stephen Moore will captain the Wallabies in the first of three Tests against France in Brisbane next weekend, and is poised to be coach Ewen McKenzie's long-term skipper.

The hard-nosed 31-year-old, who has won 91 caps for his country since his debut in 2005, will become Australia's 81st Test captain when he leads the team out at Lang Park on Saturday.

Moore succeeds his ACT Brumbies skipper Ben Mowen, who has dropped out of Wallabies reckoning after announcing that he will be moving to France at the end of the season.

A forceful player in both the tight and the loose, Saudi Arabia-born Moore indicated that his style of captaincy would be all about leading by example.

He says he'll let his actions do the talking, which is a proven leadership approach he's observed first-hand.

Two of the other captaincy candidates, 91-cap centre Adam Ashley-Cooper and young openside flanker Michael Hooper, were named as vice-captains.

Lock James Horwell, who led Australia to third place at the 2011 World Cup, and halfback Will Genia, who has also captained the side, have perhaps suffered from being associated with the Queensland Reds' poor Super Rugby campaign.

With Australia building towards next year's World Cup, a good international season for the Wallabies should put Moore in prime position to lead them in England next year, when they go for a third world title.

McKenzie will announce his team for the first Test against France on Tuesday.