Congratulations Stephen Moore. His appointment as Wallabies captain is arguably long overdue for no other senior player in recent times has quite lived up to expectations on and off the field as he has. The Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie must be commended for making what would have been a difficult choice against stiff competition from Michael Hooper. It's the right call though. In Moore, the Wallabies have the complete package as captain – a seasoned player respected by his peers for consistently producing world class performance against quality opposition, and a staunch defender of team values who doesn't tolerate poor behaviour from individuals. In making Hooper vice-captain, McKenzie has covered his bet each way as, barring injury, the Waratahs flanker, only 22, is unquestionably a future captain.
Adam Ashley-Cooper's appointment as a second vice-captain is a smart move. It's hard to argue against the utility back's elevation to the leadership group given his consistently high performance levels as a centre/outside back for the national team, and more recently for the Waratahs. There's ample justification in making him a leader. However, the real reason – the one nobody has mentioned – is most likely political. There was undoubtedly a Brumbies-Waratahs schism during the Wallabies spring tour last year. It came to a head after six players, including Ashley-Cooper, were suspended for one Test after staying out late in Dublin on the drink. There had been rumours that senior Brumbies players had dobbed in the players. Moore and the then Wallabies skipper, Ben Mowen, who also captains the Brumbies, strenuously denied the allegations. However, the ill-feeling from the Dublin incident has lingered on.
McKenzie, nothing if not shrewd, has cemented over the divide with Ashley-Cooper's elevation to the leadership group. If we are to believe Moore did in fact "dob in" Ashley-Cooper and chums, or more pertinently that Ashley-Cooper believes that to be the case, then joining the pair at the hip as team leaders is McKenzie saying 'unite the team, the phony war is over'. It's a wise selection.
Maybe not so smart has been McKenzie's selection for the first of three Tests against France this weekend. It's no great shock to see half-back Will Genia out of the match day 23 – the writing has been on the wall for some time. Nick Phipps's marked improvement hasn't helped. On form, Phipps, who has transformed from credible Super player to world class No9 under Michael Cheika's tutelage, deserves an opportunity ahead of Genia.
However, perhaps the Wallabies coach has missed a trick in not selecting Kurtley Beale at 12 outside Bernard Foley at fly-half. In fact, it's mind-boggling that Beale, one of Australia's most potent attacking weapons with a proven combination with full-back Israel Folau, should find himself on the bench. Even more bizarre is that Australia's best centre, Ashley-Cooper, is slated to play on the wing. Toomua is a solid and dependable player, but he can't unlock opposition defensive screens the way Beale can. Tevita Kuridrani at centre seems incongruous given Ashley-Cooper's form in that position for the Tahs. The fear with McKenzie's first Test selection is that the Wallabies will be good enough to get away with this folly against the French and could develop a false sense of expectation against the All Blacks. McKenzie will be in for a rude surprise if he persists with the Toomua/Kuridrani pairing. In any event, his selections will have to change once Brumbies winger Henry Speight becomes available for selection in September. Speight's inclusion on the wing is a given, which means Kuridrani has to make way for Ashley-Cooper at centre. Or, alternatively, the madness continues and Ashley-Cooper finds himself warming pine alongside Beale. That scenario would be staggering. It would also leave McKenzie badly exposed should the All Blacks continue their winning run against the Wallabies.
Tahs dare to dream of Sydney grand final
With all the media focus across the Sanzar nations on the June internationals window, there was the not insignificant matter of Super Rugby on the weekend. And it was a defining one for the Waratahs, who finally convinced the doubters with a resounding 33-17 win against defending champions the Chiefs – and in New Zealand no less, where the Tahs hadn't won a match in four years. Winner's luck stayed with the NSW team overnight as the table-topping Sharks slipped up 21-19 against the Stormers. Two points adrift of the Durban side with one more game in hand, the Tahs simply have to win their remaining three games to set up a home semi-final and potential Sydney grand final. It has been reported a home final could be worth $1m to the Waratahs.
The Brumbies, said to be on the brink of a spectacular collapse in last week's column, hit back hard in crushing the Rebels 37-10 in Canberra. Last year's losing finalist finally looked like a team capable of going one better this year thanks to a vastly improved running game, especially from fly-half Matt Toomua. However, it has to be said the Rebels were diabolical. In shipping 78 points in their last two starts, the Rebels are fast losing the hard-won credibility gained from solid mid-season performances.
Incredibly, the Chiefs are still alive in the fiercely contested NZ conference after the Hurricanes and Highlanders failed to promote themselves against the Blues and Reds respectively. The Blues, led by rejuvenated tough man Jerome Kaino, are virtually unbeatable at home. They might be out of the running (they're still a very slight mathematical chance) but on last weekend's form, they're set to play the spoiler role in their remaining games against the Force, Crusaders and Chiefs. A clean sweep of all three wouldn’t surprise.
Talking points
• The standard of refereeing, with the exception of the now infamous Stuart Berry officiated Lions v Reds match at Ellis Park earlier in the season, has been reasonable for the most part. A 6.5 out of 10 to be fair. However, a few calls in recent weeks suggest match officials need to sharpen up for the pointy end of the season and the play-offs beyond that. The video referee made a howler in the Chiefs v Waratahs game on the weekend when he awarded Bundee Aki a momentum-shifting try with 25 minutes to play. The Chiefs centre clearly had no downward pressure on the ball with any part of his hand or arm. His torso, however, rolled over the ball and that was deemed enough. It was a shocking decision in the context of two evenly-matched teams slugging it out for play-off positioning. Thankfully, the Waratahs got their deserved win and the incident didn't become a talking point. It's only one here in the hope we don't see similar dud calls in the finals.
• The Rebels have picked up Mike Harris from the Reds for next year, but will struggle to replace arguably their best player, Jason Woodward, who this week signed with the Hurricanes for 2015. He told this columnist earlier in the year his goal in life is to play for the All Blacks. The Wallabies were never an option for him despite becoming eligible for selection based on residency next year. Woodward has been good for the Melbourne franchise, and it for him in picking up the Wellington ITM Cup player thee years ago when passed over by NZ Super franchises. It's understood All Blacks coach Steve Hansen had made approaches to Woodward and is well pleased with the full-back’s decision to return home.
Super Rugby round 16 results: Crusaders 30 d Force 7; Reds 38 d Highlanders 31; Waratahs 33 d Chiefs 17; Blues 37 d Hurricanes 24; Brumbies 37 d Rebels 10; Lions 32 d Bulls 21; Stormers 21 d Sharks 19.
