In order to be captain of the Wallabies you need to be an automatic selection and you need to be a class act on and off the field.
Houston we have a problem. None of the current candidates fit that criteria.
None of the current Australian Super Rugby captains are automatic selections.
James Slipper is arguably the only one who seems certain of being selected in the Wallaby starting side, but that is only because Scott Sio is currently injured. Otherwise he too might struggle to make the first XV.
You’d have to say Stephen Moore will most likely make the starting Wallaby XV but would you be surprised if Tolu Latu or Tatafu Polota-Nau got the nod ahead of him? Both the Waratahs hookers have been more impressive this season so they at least seem good enough to make his candidacy for captain dubious. Plus you’d imagine whichever hooker is selected to start will get the hook around an hour in. Do we really want our skipper playing three quarters of each Test?
As for the other skippers of the Super Rugby franchises, none will make the wallaby 23 let alone the starting XV. I doubt Matt Hodgson and Dave Dennis will even make the top 31 players for the Rugby World Cup. Scott Higginbotham will most likely be selected as the 29th or 30th player.
Which leaves Michael Hooper and David Pocock. If I had to choose between them I’d choose Pocock. But then I’d change my mind and choose Hooper before realising I needed to choose Pocock. He was the captain before his dodgy knees caved in after all.
But really neither of these two have done enough to make the no. 7 theirs. They’ve both done enough to make it contentious, and that’s the problem with naming either of them as skipper.
So who should be the wallaby captain? Again it needs to be an automatic selection and it needs to be a genuine classy figure who is respected. Logically there is one man that fits the criteria. One man that has the respect of everyone involved. From his teammates to the coaching staff, to the public both in Australia and beyond these shores.
It should be Israel Folau – and I have a feeling it is going to be.
Watch this space…
Kerry
Guest
What a joke. Hooper ahead of Pocock. Now I know the Galahs have taken over the Wallabies selection. Hopop[er is a "much ado about nothing" he appears to be all over the place and doing a lot, however he accomplishes very little. Now David Pocock, here is a natural breakaway who tackles, runs the ball and is one of the best in the world at the breakdown of the ruck. Hooper makes an attempt and is then thrown out like a rag doll, time and time again.He also does not have an ounce of leadership skills or the right temperement for a Wallabies captain.
gatesy
Roar Guru
Tell 'im e's dreamin!!
Bfc
Guest
Am unashamedly a Liam Gill fan, but subject to fitness Pocock should be the Test captain. So far as his activist bent...CEOs of the biggest companies in Oz have come out and supported marriage equality (Qantas, Westpac, ComBank, Foxtel etc..) so that issue would hardly turn off sponsors, and most (bar our PM perhaps...) agree on climate change so only CSG companies would think his campaign to support farmers is 'dangerous'... Foxtel provides most of the sponsorship dollars, and Qantas is the naming rights sponsor so they obviously have few concerns...
Piru
Guest
There should be no debate, the only reason there is one is the tahs fans over rating him
Piru
Guest
Pocock should be captain. You could argue Pocock vs Hooper at 7 (though not for long) you cannot argue who's the better leader.
Hertryk
Guest
Hooper is not a Captain, a leader of men.. leave him to play his game.. Stephen Moore is apt for brain explosions (see game at weekend..) Pocock is far too soft, he showed no balls as Captain while he was with the Force. So.. no there are no standouts for Captain...Hodgo is a leader, an inspiration to the Team, but unfortunately he probably plays in the wrong colour blue.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Sorry - typo there. Hodgson was only omitted by me - he is in the leadership group.
eagle roarer
Guest
This has to be a troll article! so i guess i have been sucked in. How can you claim Moore is not an automatic selections??? he is light years ahead of his closest rival. TPN is one head knock away from dementia and cant get through 80 minutes without a concussion test and Tolu Latu has one of the the worst throws in the comp, so YES i would be VERY surprised if they got picked ahead of Moore. the only other players more likely to get picked are Toomua and, yes, Folau but Folau is not a leader!
PiratesRugby
Guest
And Hodgson. Interesting that two of the best performing captains of the last 3 seasons are omitted (Higgers and Hodgson) while Genia and Dennis are in there when they're unlikely to start or even get another game for the WBs. Hooper is a fast and consistent player but he has been proven to be a terrible captain. I hope the Rebels can somehow get Higgers to come back to the Rebels. Under his leadership the team has developed a winning culture. The Wallabies by contrast...
Charging Rhino
Roar Guru
Geez Messa, as an opposition supporter I even know it should be Moore. Regardless of how you argue it he's the best Aussie hooker, and I'd rate him as 2nd best in the world behind Bismark. He reads the game extremely well and understands what tactics needs to implemented and different stages of the game. Folau!??? Are you kidding me? By all means please make him captain, the Boks will be brimming from ear to ear :-) For all of Folou's wonderful bursts into space, he really doesn't read the oppositions attack very well when trying to defend. IMO it's no coincidence that Aus have had so many tries scored against them over the past two years. And he doesn't know how to create a tactical advantage with his boot from the back. That's my view. And no, the rest of the world doesn't really rate him as highly as Aussies do, or as you made out of above. There are about 4-5 other fullbacks I'd choose over Folou in world rugby. David Pocock on the hand...... Well he's simply a sublime player. Australia's best. Has to be a shoe in for the 7 jersey. If Australia has a fit in form Moore and Pocock leading from the front, they will be dangerous. And dare I say, if they also have a very in form Genia and Cooper, then they will be very dangerous.
redbull
Guest
It is a current curse. Slipper fell into the same ridiculous habit in the first half against the Crusaders. Going for the corner against the Crusdaers, how is that for a low percentage option. I was almost happy to see this type of game management get what it deserved in the second half.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
I doubt that pocock is the best in the world otherwise their would be no debate about him vs hooper.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
Pocock is a great player. He will be captain if fit
Harry Jones
Expert
Spot on. He wouldn't know how to argue ruck calls.
Bakkies
Guest
The only minnow the Wallabies will be playing is Uruguay and they will still have a strong scrum to test Cheika's chosen pack. Fiji can't and won't be taken lightly and they have improved on their forward play. That lock who plays for Glasgow if he gets picked is a big threat. He is a stronger version of Samo that busts tackles for fun and always looks to offload which he pulls off in unlikely circumstances.
Bakkies
Guest
' and will be first picked imho, you don’t have to be Einstein to see that check has Hooper defending as a back to cover for Foley and Beale. He is also used as a rushing defender which means he is seldom second man in to the breakdown.' With the way the breakdown is you can't do that at test level as a forward these days and the Wallabies don't have enough forwards that are strong over the ball to cover his required breakdown workload. Ireland couldn't manage it to cover O'Gara's defensive weaknesses particularly in his later years and nor could Munster. Deans also battled McKenzie to get him to work on Cooper's tackling which McKenzie was covering by having Cooper drop back to field kicks. When Hooper was standing in the centres in the Lions Series the Lions ran the big Welsh boys down his channel which led to a key momentum changing try and you can't have that in the RWC match that will possibly decide the pool with the same players in the opposition. Gatland often has his wingers coming in to run lines at the midfield particularly off decoys.
Bakkies
Guest
If he stops giving away silly penalties. Worked for Horwill for a while but imho Horwill's biggest flaw as test captain was going for the corner without a strong driving maul when he should be taking the points.
Bakkies
Guest
Umaga's original test position was right wing same as Stirling Mortlock. Mortlock first tour which was to Argentina and he was a full back at the time.
Bakkies
Guest
Moore was awarded job under the previous Head Coach. I don't think Cheika has decided to continue with that.
Bakkies
Guest
and only captain because the chosen one is out injured.