THE Brumbies have begun a new era by appointing a relative newcomer in No.8 Stephen Hoiles as the side's first full-season captain without a long-standing bloodline with the Canberra Super 14 side.
Hoiles, who has missed only one game with the Brumbies since joining the side for the 2007 season, takes over the leadership from Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock, who has opted to relinquish the Super 14 role.
A former Waratah who captained Randwick to last year's Shute Shield final, Hoiles has been with the Brumbies only two years, whereas the seven previous captains were foundation members or seasoned recruits.
Hoiles, 27, who hopes to resume a Wallabies career now at 16 Tests, was surprised to have been elevated to the captaincy role so early in his time at the Brumbies: "You are right there. I never expected this this early.
"A lot of guys have been here a lot longer than I have. To have been given this is a huge honour."
His predecessors in order of games in the position were George Gregan (49), Stirling Mortlock (44), Brett Robinson (43), George Smith (13), Owen Finegan (5), Ewen McKenzie (5) and Alister Campbell (1).
Brumbies coach Andy Friend also overlooked Smith for the captaincy. Although Smith has led the Wallabies and Brumbies before, he has been known to be reluctant to take on either position on a full-time basis when offered.
Hoiles's selection signifies a shift in the side's culture as the other captains - except Campbell, who also came from NSW but in 2005 and only captained the side for one game in 2007 - graduated under Brumbies tutelage. But the Brumbies have undertaken an overhaul with the arrival of former NSW backs coach Friend and his coaching team taking over from Laurie Fisher.
"I am not going to sit here and tell the world through the paper how I am going to captain," Holies said. "I don't know what type of captain I will be. There will be times when I probably need to say a few things more than when I previously would and there will be times when hopefully you have to let your actions do the talking. A different voice might be good, but hopefully there will still be a lot of input from 'Stirlo' and George Smith. I expect it to be as great as it was last year.
"But we have a fresh start and are treating it as that ... a new coaching staff, new voices in terms of coaches. And because of that, everyone is enthusiastic, which is a pretty potent thing when you use it the right way.
"Even [with] the guys who have been here a long time, there is a new attitude among all the players."
Friend says the captaincy could bring the best out of Hoiles."I believe that we are yet to see the best out of him and by giving him this responsibility it will encourage him to realise that potential," he said yesterday.
He said allowing Mortlock to step down as captain would help him accommodate his Wallabies commitments.
* Test fullback Cameron Shepherd will test his rebuilt left ankle in the Western Force's intra-squad game at Cottesloe tomorrow night, writes Dave Hughes.
Shepherd's ankle shattered when he was tackled in the final seconds of the Wallabies' win over France at Brisbane in July. A surgeon inserted a plate to hold together his smashed fibula, but the major damage was to ligaments, which ruptured when his ankle twisted and partly dislocated. He spent 10 weeks on crutches. His broken shin knitted together well, but there was sufficient damage elsewhere to require more surgery in October.
Shepherd, 24, the Force's top scorer in 2007, was able to sprint and kick without restriction for the first time in yesterday's training session at McGillivray Oval.
