AUSTRALIAN RUGBY SUPPORTERS have been voicing their opinions about who should be leading their side against the British & Irish Lions this summer.
With injured captain David Pocock not expected to return to rugby until August at the earliest, head coach Robbie Deans will need to appoint a new on-field spokesman for the upcoming tour.
Australians were asked to vote for their choice of captain from six current Wallabies. The poll winner will be familiar to Irish fans as he captained his country the last time the two sides met.
James Horwill, who led the Queensland Reds to Super Rugby glory in 2011, received 55% of the fan vote. The lock led the Green and Gold at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. They were beaten 15-6 by Ireland in the pool stages, after which Horwill admitted:
We weren’t good enough. We didn’t given enough clean platform for our backs and they did well to spoil us and they played well and Ireland deserved their win.”
Second in the online vote was another Reds player, Will Genia. The scrumhalf polled at 29%.
Brumbies Captain, Ben Mowen and Rebels star, and recent stand-in skipper, James O’Connor were tied on 6% of votes. Dave Dennis and Matt Hodgson, respective captains of the Waratahs and Western Force, shared out the final 4%.
In a similar poll last month, Australian supporters voted in huge numbers for Ireland centre Brian O’Driscoll to lead the touring Lions side.
