British and Irish Lions 2025: Stephen Moore backs Angus Bell to be Wallabies captain

Former Australia captain Stephen Moore would select prop Angus Bell to skipper the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions.

Australia head coach Joe Schmidt is yet to name his series captain, with the first Test kicking off on Saturday in Brisbane (11:00 BST).

Number eight Harry Wilson, who scored a late try to defeat Fiji in the Wallabies’ only warm-up game, is the favourite to skipper the side after performing the role in that win and against England, Scotland and Ireland in November.

“We need our players that are world class, Angus Bell is a good example. I would have had him as captain if it was up to me,” Moore told BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly.

“Captaincy is an area they have ummed and ahhed about over the last couple of years.

“I don’t know if it will be Harry Wilson, I think so, as he was captain against Fiji and they haven’t named the captain.”

Squad members James Slipper, Will Skelton and David Porecki, who only this year has got over his injury troubles that kept him out since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, have all captained Australia in the past two years.

Schmidt said Wilson is “one of the players at the forefront” of his thinking when it comes to a Test captain, but added he wanted to ensure his skipper was fully fit.

Flanker Rob Valetini missed the game against Fiji through injury and Moore believes his selection in the back row might be a problem for Wilson.

“Joe would have preferred to do that right [naming the captain], but that it is not his story to keep chopping and changing. He is finding out the best way to win,” added Moore, who played in all three Tests against the Lions in 2013.

“Is Harry in that team? If Rob Valetini plays then are they in that team together? Do they need a jumping back rower?

“There are bunch of options that they have got and they are just not clear on the right one is. That is why we are seeing that hesitation.”