ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has backed new captain Stephen Moore to lead the club to a championship, declaring Moore deserved to be Brumbies skipper before Ben Mowen was given the job.
Almost three years after Jake White shocked everyone by unveiling Mowen as the Brumbies captain ahead of established star Moore, the Wallabies rake will get his chance to lead the club to Super Rugby glory.
Moore has played 92 Tests, 131 Super Rugby games and was promoted to Wallabies captaincy this year before a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in June ended his year.
The 31-year-old is also about to ramp up negotiations with the Brumbies to extend his stay in Australian rugby beyond next year's World Cup, signalling his intention to help the club "re-engage" with Canberra.
Mowen and White combined to break a 10-year Brumbies' finals drought last year and Mowen was elevated to the Wallabies captaincy, but quit Australian rugby this year to play in France.
Larkham heaped praise on Mowen's successful leadership tenure, but said Moore's "long awaited" chance came later than he expected.
"To decide between Ben Mowen and Steve Moore [in 2012] was difficult at the time and Jake went with Ben, that was a good decision, he was a fantastic captain and we all learnt a bit of leadership off him," Larkham said.
"In my mind it was Stephen who deserved to be the captain for that period. He gets his opportunity now, I know it's been long awaited, but he deserves the chance now.
"Jake had his reasons for Ben and in hindsight Ben Mowen did a fantastic job. I thought Steve should be captain and we went the other way."
Moore hopes to be back for the opening round of the 2015 season in February as he continues his rehabilitation from a knee reconstruction.
Moore is also on the Brumbies board as the players' representative, but said his focus was on high performance and will likely step down from that role.
He is one of the best hookers in world rugby, making his Super Rugby debut for Queensland in 2003 and playing his first Test for the Wallabies in 2005.
Moore was contemplating a move overseas at the end of his Brumbies contract and after the World Cup next year, but his injury has changed his plans..
"The injury changed my perspective, I'd love to stay in Australia and stay at the Brumbies," Moore said.
"I really love living in Canberra and playing here. We'll go through that process [of contracts] and I imagine it will be pretty smooth.
"... I want to be here beyond one season, I'm really passionate about that. We've got the on-field stuff right in the last three years, but I think our engagement with the community has fallen away.
"We only had [14,000 fans] to a final a couple of months ago, the boys want to play in front of full houses and represent the community. Whatever we can to do improve that, I'll try to lead that."
It's understood Larkham will start negotiations with Moore, David Pocock and Ben Alexander in the coming weeks to extend their respective Brumbies contracts beyond the end of next year.
The Brumbies were knocked out of the Super Rugby title race by eventual champions the NSW Waratahs, but Moore is confident the club can win its first championship since 2004.
"Ben did a terrific job and it's up to me to take it forward," Moore said.
"We still haven't won the competition that we're chasing. Our program needs to go to another level now to achieve that.
"I think we're going in a positive direction ... the program is in good shape and we have to keep adding bits that we think we can help us win next year."
NEW BRUMBIES CAPTAIN
Name: Stephen Moore
Age: 31
Super Rugby games: 131
Tests: 92
