Ben Mowen and Jake White for the Brumbies (Image credit/blame: @BMcSport)
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The ACT Brumbies have named recruit Ben Mowen as their captain for the 2012 Super Rugby season.
The former NSW backrower was seen as the frontrunner for the job over the more experienced likes of Wallabies Stephen Moore and Pat McCabe, who have both been announced as vice-captains along with prop Dan Palmer.
Coach Jake White said Mowen, who has yet to play a Super Rugby match for the Brumbies, had the leadership credentials to take the team to the top.
The 27-year-old previously skippered the Australian Under 21s to the final of the 2005 world championships and also led Waratahs’ development tours.
“He’s got what I want in terms of leadership,” White told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
“The club needs something new – that’s a reality.
“That’s not taking anything away from the boys that have been here, but there’s a new group here and the dynamics are different.”
Mowen, who’s been training for almost nine months, firmed as favourite for captain after acting in the role during the Brumbies’ last trial against Queensland in Cairns last weekend.
In 2012, he’ll have the honour of being the only non-Wallaby Australian Super Rugby captain, but said the tag sat well with him.
“Representing a side with not many Wallabies in it, that’s perfect,” he said.
“Like Jake, I’ve got a huge self-belief in what we’re doing here and the blokes that we’ve got that we can be successful this year.”
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The Crowd Says (30) | Page 1 of Comments
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- Ben Mowen, Brumbies, Rugby Union, Super Rugby
February 15th 2012 @ 3:04pm
Funk said | February 15th 2012 @ 3:04pm | Report comment
Poor old Squeak, must be kicking himself for leaving the Reds!
February 15th 2012 @ 3:06pm
Markus said | February 15th 2012 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
The only non-Wallaby captain part won’t be an issue anymore when Mortlock and Elsom get injured in the first round, and get replaced by a Welshman at the Rebs and, well, whoever is left standing at the Tahs. Back to Dean Mumm?
February 15th 2012 @ 3:52pm
jameswm said | February 15th 2012 @ 3:52pm | Report comment
Not Mumm – he’s not even in the leadership group. More likely Barnes, Robinson, Vickermann or TPN – all pretty firmly established Wallabies.
February 15th 2012 @ 4:04pm
Markus said | February 15th 2012 @ 4:04pm | Report comment
Was more hinting at the fact that the Tahs entire leadership group also make up the bulk of their perenially injured group. I can’t remember the last time any of them played a full season.
They only ones they have missed in that group are Palu and Kepu.
February 16th 2012 @ 3:38pm
ilikedahoodoogurusingha said | February 16th 2012 @ 3:38pm | Report comment
It looks as though you are clairvoyant:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/leg-injury-may-force-vickerman-to-retire-20120215-1t6ry.html
February 15th 2012 @ 3:42pm
The Battered Slav said | February 15th 2012 @ 3:42pm | Report comment
Better to have one captain than the 10 of them they had last year.
Let’s hope Jake doesn’t buy into this player power thing and that this is the last we’ve seen of such rubbish.
I’m expecting big things from the Brums this year, big things!!
Are the Brumbies going to be the new Reds, with everything to play for, nothing to lose and a coach whom the players would truly stand up for?
Maybe they just will….
February 15th 2012 @ 5:14pm
ilikedahoodoogurusingha said | February 15th 2012 @ 5:14pm | Report comment
Good choice….he has been at pre season training with all the young guys, whilst Moore has been overseas on the spring tour and his break. Unlucky for Moore in that regard, but better for the newbies in the squad to have someone they have been training with day in day out me thinks.
February 15th 2012 @ 5:42pm
formeropenside said | February 15th 2012 @ 5:42pm | Report comment
Rebels now the only odd team out without a Queenslander as captain.
February 15th 2012 @ 6:30pm
CraigB said | February 15th 2012 @ 6:30pm | Report comment
D Pocock is from Zimbabwe. Living there doesn’t construe ownership…
February 15th 2012 @ 7:25pm
Armchair Sportsfan said | February 15th 2012 @ 7:25pm | Report comment
tell that to the english cricket team:)
February 15th 2012 @ 7:41pm
p.Tah said | February 15th 2012 @ 7:41pm | Report comment
Elsom is Victorian…
February 15th 2012 @ 9:17pm
Big Steve said | February 15th 2012 @ 9:17pm | Report comment
and I thought Mortlock was from NSW? Wasnt he a Gordon Junior?
February 16th 2012 @ 12:15am
mattamkII said | February 16th 2012 @ 12:15am | Report comment
Hahah..so 2 out of 5….never let the facts get in the way of a good Qld rant.
February 15th 2012 @ 11:25pm
Johnno said | February 15th 2012 @ 11:25pm | Report comment
Disgraceful choice how is Pat Mcabe a proud wallaby not considered ahead of Ben Mowen no Wallaby tests, I don’t understand it. Jobs for the boys or favourites I hope this stuff doesn’t happen again at Brumbie land.
February 16th 2012 @ 12:16am
mattamkII said | February 16th 2012 @ 12:16am | Report comment
um…because hes:
1) so over rated its a joke
2) has all the presence of a dashound
February 16th 2012 @ 1:18am
Blinky Bill of Bellingen said | February 16th 2012 @ 1:18am | Report comment
Mowen or McCabe?
February 16th 2012 @ 11:52am
Bakkies said | February 16th 2012 @ 11:52am | Report comment
McCabe is injured and hasn’t trained. McCabe is only 23 where as Mowen has captained the under 21s which White holds in high regards. Jake White made his name in that age group coaching the 2002 SA under 21s team to the under 21s World Cup title (a team that included Fourie du Preez, Steenkamp, Burger, de Villiers, Rathbone, Willemse, Juan Smith, Januarie, Gary Botha, Quinton Geldenhuys, Ndguane, Jacques Cronje and Wannenburg) against a pretty good Junior Wallabies team (Horua, Giteau, Sheperdson, Gerrard, Henjak, Turinui, Heenan, Henderson, Chisholm, Tawake, Brock James, Hodgson, Mafi Kefu).
February 16th 2012 @ 12:00pm
Brett McKay said | February 16th 2012 @ 12:00pm | Report comment
Bakkies, for what it’s worth, McCabe told the hordes yesterday that his first contact session would be today, and that around Round 4 might be a realistic goal for playing…
February 16th 2012 @ 1:28pm
Justin said | February 16th 2012 @ 1:28pm | Report comment
Johnno please, might be best to watch a game of rugby one day. After your NFL is dying in America rant you are two for two old boy!
McCabe isnt a natural footballer and wouldnt have a clue about tactics to be a captain of the U8s
February 16th 2012 @ 1:36pm
Johnno said | February 16th 2012 @ 1:36pm | Report comment
So if he is so unnatural he made the wallabies Justin and is easily our best defender at I/C , and basically the best defensive centre in the world with Conrad Smith the other. Natural is not about being pretty or looking good, it is being effective and tough. Watch the Samoa match and watch Mcabe, he runs hard and straight and tackles hard too. Ma Nonu admits he finds Mcabe akward to play against coz, Mcabe is taller than him 6’1 and run hard in your face, and tackles hard, and is mentally strong. Assets that you have to have the talent to have you can;t develop it at training courage in high levels you either have it or you don’t and mace has it in spades. He has a heart of phar lap the way he approaches his rugby. Look at the world cup Q/F vs south africa as evidence of this.
And without the NFL is dying in america look at the ratings for growth of a sport rugby is far outranking gridiron for development of junior talent. Rookie rugby USA won a prestigious IRB award for it’s development.
February 17th 2012 @ 11:09am
Bakkies said | February 17th 2012 @ 11:09am | Report comment
McCabe runs too upright at inside centre. Rathbone had the same problem and got belted. His best position for the Brumbies is fullback. Very solid under the high ball (similar to Rob Kearney in that respect)
February 16th 2012 @ 12:49am
Yikes said | February 16th 2012 @ 12:49am | Report comment
Excellent choice (for my mind). He is a seriously impressive character off the field. His task is to ensure his playing on the field matches his status as captain, which will be tough for him since he’s not as naturally gifted as some other backrowers around.
February 16th 2012 @ 6:07am
johnny-boy said | February 16th 2012 @ 6:07am | Report comment
I reckon White will harden him up tho – and tell him to go straight up the middle. It will be worth watching as a fine measure of White’s coaching ability.
February 16th 2012 @ 12:02pm
Brett McKay said | February 16th 2012 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
agree Yikes, Mowen has completely embraced the whole living in Canberra thing, and is certainly an impressive guy off the field..
February 16th 2012 @ 12:07pm
Johnno said | February 16th 2012 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
Brett I am not happy with Mowen’s appointment. I smell a rat.
How Jake White could ignore proud Wallabies Mcabe and Moore, men who play hard, and men who have served there country in world cups and for the wallabies, is not good.
Mowen should not have accepted the captaincy, and let his more senior Brumbies Mcabe and Moore have the job.
Jobs for the boys it seems again in Brumbie land.
And how the Brumbies have treated a former wallaby and captain Steve Hoiles is disgraceful too. He should of been retained, a wallaby too Hoiles is unlike Mowen.
February 16th 2012 @ 12:17pm
Brett McKay said | February 16th 2012 @ 12:17pm | Report comment
Johnno, it would be fair to say that I disagree with pretty much everything you’ve said here. There is nothing more or less to this than the best man being picked for the job. Jake White knows a thing or two about picking captains. Moore and McCabe (and Dan Palmer) will still be on-field leaders. There’s no rats to smell mate, and ‘jobs for the boys’ doesn’t hold water when you consider Mowen is yet to play a SR game yet.
And Hoiles and Brumbies came to a mutual agreement anyway, on the basis that at the time, it was unclear when or even if he would be right to play again. What else could they do, try and a play out a season one man down? Hoiles has apparently been invited to train with the Tahs though, and I hope he does make it back..
February 16th 2012 @ 12:28pm
Johnno said | February 16th 2012 @ 12:28pm | Report comment
I hope Hoiles makes it back at the Tahs. he was a good player who should of got more wallaby tests, but didn’t for one reason or another (injuries, perceived lack of size for a no 8). But he was effective without hew ork he did and skilful, but no Kefu but still a decent player. Mowen could do well, and this may be the start of making him a better player and trying to gain wallaby honours .
February 17th 2012 @ 12:19am
bennalong said | February 17th 2012 @ 12:19am | Report comment
I was a great fan of his at the Tahs and he’s got plenty of natural talent. You weren’t watching!
His issue will be the competitiveness of his side
I wish both him and the Brumbies well.
February 16th 2012 @ 7:07am
aussie1st said | February 16th 2012 @ 7:07am | Report comment
Another ex Waratahs number 8 straight into the captaincy gig. Hopefully he goes better than the last one.
February 16th 2012 @ 5:07pm
mudskipper said | February 16th 2012 @ 5:07pm | Report comment
Mowen is a good choice… just what a new young squad need. Jake White just hasn’t handed him the Captaincy, he has observed functioning within the squad for a good 8 months.
The Brumbies need to get members back, they need a charismatic leader. Mowen is very likable chap, intelligent, the media and sponsors will love him…