Back-row skippers are the flavour of the month in Super Rugby with David Pocock’s Western Force ascension kicking off three captaincy appointments.
While world-class ball scavenger Pocock succeeded veteran Force lock Nathan Sharpe on Monday, the NSW Waratahs are set to name fellow Wallabies flanker Rocky Elsom as their captain on Tuesday.
And Brumbies coach Jake White is expected to follow suit in a fortnight with No.8 recruit Ben Mowen to be made a leader of the new-look ACT squad.
White has opted against naming a captain for the Brumbies’ opening two trials against the Force (February 4) and Queensland (February 11).
He’s set to reveal an extended leadership group for the trials this week with Mowen among a list that includes Wallabies front rower Stephen Moore and Ben Alexander.
World Cup hooker Moore, 29, was seen as the likely replacement for Matt Giteau last year but former Springboks coach White is looking to start afresh with Mowen.
The surprise move would complete a bizarre swap between the Brumbies and Waratahs as Mowen, 27, left NSW last season when new coach Michael Foley swooped to sign Elsom from the Brumbies.
Dumped as Wallabies skipper just three weeks before last year’s World Cup, Elsom’s impending appointment has also raised eye brows as he’ll be sidelined for the first month of the competition.
But there were no surprises with Pocock’s ascension in Perth on Monday with coach Richard Graham admitting it was 12 months in the making.
Foundation captain and 101-Test stalwart Sharpe is yet to decide upon his future beyond this season but the 40-Test Pocock has long been seen as the Force’s long-term leader.
The appointment will also help keep the off-contract open-side flanker and 2010 John Eales Medallist in the west following the Force’s disappointing 2011 which featured just five wins.
“I’m very excited about it,” Pocock said. “It’s a huge challenge.
“Following on from someone like Nathan Sharpe who’s served the team so well and has a distinct brand of leadership – I’ve learnt a lot from him.
“And the great thing for me is he’ll still be there and I’ll be able to bounce ideas off him. He’ll definitely play a big part in the team.”
Force coach Richard Graham opted against naming a vice-captain and won’t risk Pocock and Sharpe against the Brumbies in Darwin on Saturday night.
But he was certain his players would be inspired to follow the lead of Pocock, the Young Australian of 2012 for his for his work in establishing the charity organisation Eighty-Twenty Vision, which helps disadvantaged communities in his native Zimbabwe.
“If you’re ever going to demand things from people around you in sport, you actually need to be able to set a really high standard and keep them accountable, and he does that,” Graham said.
“I think the work he does off the field shows how selfless he is as a character, and in serving the team that will be very important.”
