Hooper is the Wallabies’ chosen one

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A SKATEBOARDING skipper who has never beaten the All Blacks must rise to that quest to provide any tonic for five-minute captain Stephen Moore in his ruined Wallabies season.

Coach Ewen McKenzie on Sunday restrained from anointing Michael Hooper as the Wallabies' youngest captain in 67 years, yet it will surely come in the next 24 hours.

The Moore shock was still too raw for the Wallabies camp, which had the afterglow of their 50-23 thrashing of France jolted by worse than expected news on his left knee.

"His whole year's gone," McKenzie said.

"He's obviously shattered. I thought he'd done a brilliant job in a short space of time in the week of the Test.

Stephen Moore receives treatment before he is forced to leave the field due to a serious knee injury. Source: Getty Images

"He and I worked well together. I was really pleased with the progress being made off the field and it leaves a bit of a void because we had a lot of stuff in the pipeline.'

A knee reconstruction for torn ligaments will ground the hooker for 13 Tests, including the end of season tour, after he was a core figure for all 15 of last year.

Not since Trevor Allan became Wallaby captain at 21 in 1947, when the indestructible Bill McLean broke his leg in England, has the Test leadership jumped to a player as young as Hooper.

The 22-year-old dynamo from Sydney's northern beaches should order iron knee guards because David Pocock (2012), Will Genia (2012) and now Moore (2014) have fallen to major ligament injuries in a cruel captain's curse.

As scene-setting as this French series is Moore didn't read the book, Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life, to find clues on beating Les Bleus.

Michael Hooper gets past French opposite number Bernard le Roux to dive over for a try out wide. Source: AP

The themes stuck "in the pipeline" are those he hadn't yet delivered to the team about the extras that champions do, team culture, humility and other standards.

Hooper will lead against France in Saturday night's second Test against France in Melbourne.

Moore's early exit at Suncorp Stadium last Saturday night gave McKenzie a strong view on how Hooper could step up in tough times.

"He played outstandingly well and it didn't affect his playing, which is a part of it," McKenzie said.

"I can't think of many who play as consistently well as he does. I don't think I've seen him have an off day (in 29 Tests). He fronts up and is in every game.

"He's a lead-by-example sort of guy. That's a style (of leadership) I respect and he's highly regarded by the playing group."

Hooper's thrusts when running were as much a hallmark against the French as his tackling and presence on the ball.

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THE CAPTAINCY CURSE OF THE WALLABIES

2012: James Horwill misses Test season after hamstring surgery

David Pocock leads for five Tests before major knee injury v All Blacks

Will Genia leads for two Tests before major knee injury v South Africa

2013: Horwill misses two Tests after hamstring injury at training

Genia dropped for Nic White after one Test as captain

Horwill loses job to Ben Mowen

2014: Mowen forfeits Test captaincy by signing to play in France

Stephen Moore to miss Test season after major knee injury v France

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