Dave Rennie puts his faith in Michael Hooper as Wallabies captain

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie insists he is not creating problems for himself by reaffirming Michael Hooper’s position as the Australian captain.

Michael Hooper poses after being retained as Wallabies captain. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images.

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie insists he is not concerned he may be creating problems for himself by reaffirming Michael Hooper’s position not just as the Australian captain but as the side’s pre-eminent openside flanker.

To be sure, Hooper is a player well worth any of the problems he creates. He might very well be the best rugby player Australia can boast of at this moment in time. But while he might be the best player, he is not the best openside flanker and therein lies a dilemma that Rennie’s predecessor, Michael Cheika, could not resolve in the five years he was Wallabies head coach.

Hooper was arguably Cheika’s best player too, but David Pocock was his best “jackal”. Cheika’s solution was to play Hooper at seven and Pocock at either No 8 or blindside flanker, but in doing so he unbalanced his back-row and put further strain on an already-struggling lineout.

There is no question Hooper was and remains the standout candidate for the captaincy and Pocock has effectively retired from international rugby. But now Fraser McReight has come on to the scene and judging from his work as the Australian under-20 captain last year and for the Queensland Reds in this year’s Super Rugby AU, he promises to play the same dynamic role over the ball as Pocock once did — if given the chance.

Still, it was Hooper’s dynamic leadership that repeatedly caught Rennie’s eye this season, even if the player did take a break from the formal captaincy role with NSW.

“I think Hoops has been excellent,” Rennie said on Wednesday at the Wallabies’ Hunter Valley training base. “He’s tough, he ticks a lot of boxes for us. I think the fact that he hasn’t led the Waratahs has been good for him. It’s been a chance for him to reflect on leadership and how he engages with referees.

“He is still going to have to earn the right to play and he’s done that so far. We are not scared to make tough decisions. But we are also picking someone who we believe has the ability to dominate their jersey, so that is the reason for the decision.”

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Asked whether he would consider Hooper for another back-row spot, blindside flanker for example, Rennie replied: “We think within the squad we have enough flexibility around the loose forwards. Someone like Lukhan (Salakaia-Loto) can play lock-loosie, Ned Hanigan, he can play lock-loosie. So when you look at the make-up of the group, we have pretty good flexibility, so we see Hoops as a seven.”

There may have been a chance for an elegant solution to the dilemma by opting, perhaps, for co-captains. McReight led the under-20 side to a World Cup final and, as a specialist seven, would only have been on the field if Hooper was on the sidelines. Or, if not him, then perhaps an Allan Alaalatoa, the Brumbies captain and tighthead. But even though Rennie has favoured co-captains in the past, both while coaching the Glasgow Warriors and the Chiefs in his native New Zealand, he did not feel it was appropriate with the Wallabies.

“It was certainly something we thought about but I think when it comes to the national side it’s better to have one man with the (c) next to his name and good leaders around him,” Rennie said.

Hooper, as it turns out, had McReight on the back foot even before the camp was under way. McReight’s Reds teammates had discovered that he was to be Hooper’s roomie and had filled him with tales of the skipper – who normally gets a room to himself — not appreciating company.

“I don’t think I’m too much of a tyrant but the boys made out that I’m used to having my own room, so being put in with someone it could be a bit of a spatter, but I feel I’m pretty accommodating,” Hooper said with a laugh.

“I think the guy (McReight) has huge potential and you can really learn a lot in this environment really quick and I think we have the opportunity to make each other better and improving as players so we’ll be looking to do that.”

By changing the captain, Rennie could have sent a signal that he intended to make a clean break from the Cheika era. But it is an encouraging sign that he didn’t feel the need to go down that path. And Hooper also felt he now was able to put into practice what he has learned over the six years since first becoming Australian captain.

“I think I have learnt a lot in my time as captain and it would be fair to say that I want to try to implement that. I want to improve, I have a very open mind, how I can grow as a leader.”

No Australian has ever led the Wallabies to two World Cups, but Hooper is very much in the box seat to take the team to the tournament in France in 2023, when he would be 32.

“It’s on the timeline, that World Cup. I’ve been in two cycles of them now and know how quickly they can come around. But all my focus, my attention, is on what I can try and achieve here each day.

“We have this huge cherry in four years’ time and that’s a huge experience but we have to build towards (it) and right now there are two Bledisloe Cup games in NZ in three weeks. It is such an exciting thing.”

If he does make it to the 2023 World Cup as captain, Hooper – who has led the side 46 times — would easily obliterate the records of George Gregan (59 Tests) and John Eales (55) as Australia’s longest serving captain.