Openside flanker Michael Hooper has been elevated to the Wallabies captaincy following the season-ending injury to hooker Stephen Moore at the weekend.
Moore damaged his anterior cruciate ligament attempting a tackle during Australia’s 50-23 victory over France at Suncorp Stadium and is expected to the spend the next year on the sideline. While losing Moore is a significant blow, Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie is confident 22-year-old Hooper can handle the team’s leadership duties, starting with Saturday’s second Test against France in Melbourne.
“He’ll undoubtedly bring his own unique personality to the way things are done, but we wouldn’t have recognised him in a leadership capacity at the beginning of this series if we didn’t think he had to the ability to step into this role,” he said.
“I couldn’t have been more impressed with his performance on the weekend after Stephen went down, so we know the added responsibility won’t impact the high-level of play we all expect from him each week. He’ll also step-up to shape how this team functions off the field. As a group, we’ve clearly defined expectations around team culture and Michael will play a significant role in delivering that within the group.”
Hooper, who plays for the NSW Waratahs, was Australia’s Super Rugby Player of the Season and John Eales Medallist in 2013. He will become the fourth-youngest player to captain the Wallabies.
While disappointed for Moore, Hooper pledged to do his best for Australia. “I’m very proud to be in this position now and am looking forward to what we have at the moment, which is two more games against the French,” he said.
