Moody: I want the captaincy
Bath's Lewis Moody has reiterated his desire to be captain of the England team heading into the World Cup next summer.
England coach Martin Johnson has refused to name a new permanent captain after dropping former skipper Steve Borthwick from the Elite Performance Squad that meets in the period before the start of a new Premiership season.
Moody has said that he is more ready than he ever will be to lead his country. He has also said the fact that Bath did not give him the captaincy doesn't matter and should not be connected to his international career.
There are many reasons why Moody should lead England towards the autumn Test matches and the World Cup next summer. However, it's a big decision for Johnson to make and not one that he can rush.
Reasons he should be captain
Moody is at the right stage of his career to take on a captaincy role. He is 32-years-old and still has two or three seasons left before he will start considering retirement. He's been playing top-flight rugby since 1996 and has much more experience than other players in the England team.
He seems to have settled down as a player and as an individual. This means he doesn't have so much going on away from the field, which would allow him to calmly and confidently take on the huge role of leading his country.
He has the right position for the role and can lead by example. Playing on the flanks means that a player will often get a few chances to score during a game. Moody can drive for the line and set the example in the England team. This will be vital during big games in the future.
Moody said: "I feel confident that in the three games I have captained England, I have grown in experience each time and I will keep doing that if I am given the opportunity. I absolutely loved the job on the summer tour. It was a new experience doing it for that period of time, through the rollercoaster of losing the first Test and winning the second Test."
There's no rush
There's no rush for Martin Johnson to make a decision because there is still a little bit of time left before the important autumn Test matches against New Zealand.
It could simply be the case that Johnson wants to wait and see how the start of the season pans out for a number of players. He may make a selection based on who is in form so Moody has to focus on his role at Bath before anything else.
He added: "As it was a longer period of time you take a lot more responsibility on your shoulders and you take it more personally. It was certainly an experience for me, taking on all that pressure and responsibility for the team over a few weeks. If you are asked to be captain, perhaps that's the way it should be."
Betting advice
If there are any odds for the next England captain then back Moody confidently to be the next leader. He has the right experience, did the job in Steve Borthwick's absence from the side due to injury and looks like the ideal candidate to take on the role.
There is no harm waiting until the very last moment before making your decision but you will sacrifice odds by doing this. However, Moody has stated his desire to hit the ground running at Bath and if he does so then it will be a formality unless Martin Johnson has gone mad.
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