Stephen ‘Squeaky’ Moore has established himself as the Wallabies first choice hooker for the past few seasons now. Omar chats to him about the recent Tri-Nations disappointment, as well as his move down to Brumby land.

Last Saturday seemed like the one that got away.  Tell us about your feelings on recent Tri-Nations series

Yeah it was definitely an up and down Tri Nations for us with some good wins in Perth, Sydney and Durban, combined with some disappointing losses. It really was a weird feeling after last Saturday because we were so close yet it felt like we had nothing.  If scored at the end and won, then it would have been touted as a great year and would have made all the difference.  That’s the nature of sport and we knew that going into the match.

I shouldn’t remind you, but what happened in the recent match in Johannesburg against the Boks?

Obviously very disappointing but its funny because our preparation was excellent that week and we were on a real high from the week before.  I thought we started well but they got the overall momentum in the first half and the floodgates opened from there.  Our execution wasn’t good with a lot of the basic elements of the game.

The All Black front row is constantly being labeled as their strength and the platform by which they build their overall game.  How have you found packing against them?

There is no doubt that the All Black front row is consistently the best front row that I’ve played against.  Recently they have lost Hayman and Oliver to Europe, yet they replace them with guys like Somerville and Hore, who are more than capable.  Kevin Mealamu hasn’t even started a test match all year which is indicative of their strength. All Black front rows are always well coached and very good technically which makes them more difficult to overcome than the Springboks front row which relies largely on size.

What are the team’s prospects like for Hong Kong and the Spring Tour, and who do you see as potential bolters for the tour?

The progress has been excellent and the guys have been expressing themselves at training which has converted onto the field.  Defence is the key aspect that we really need to continue working on at training and at game time.  In relation to bolters, I would say the Force duo of Richard Brown and David Pocock must be picked.  Browny’s recent performance was excellent and Pocock is a great prospect that deserves his chance.  In a squad of 33, just being on the tour is an invaluable experience for newcomers even if they are not playing.  Guys learn a lot about how the test team operates and so I think Robbie will take quite a few bolters.

On a personal note, you spent a bit of time on the bench with the Reds earlier this year, but seemed to regain solid form in time for the Test season. How have you seen your year thus far?

That certainly was disappointing losing my starting spot, and it really motivated me to hit back hard.  It’s always harder to get back in than it is to go out, and Hardy obviously wanted to stay where he was.   It was a challenging year at Queensland and to be honest, it wasn’t my most enjoyable. I was fortunate enough to be selected at the start of the Test season and I immediately learnt a lot from Robbie, Jimmy and Foles which helped kick my form along.

Tell us about your move from Queensland to the Brumbies. What was behind your decision?

At this point in my career at age 25, I felt it was the right time to make a move somewhere else and try to make a good fist of it.   It wasn’t a financial decision at all but purely a rugby decision, as I felt Canberra was going to be the place where I learn the most and progress. Also, I just need a new environment with a change of set-up and systems.  I served 6 years at Queensland and felt that it was a timely move.

In your view, what have been the most significant changes with having Robbie Deans at the helm?

The biggest thing I noticed straight away is that Robbie does all the coaching himself.  He is very hands on and very approachable.   Players are not afraid to make mistakes at training which is the way it should be, as the idea of training is to try new things that will hopefully come off on the field. Often, i believe, modern day coaches try to overcomplicate things; whereas Robbie has always ensured that the basic skills were first priority such as catch- pass and footwork drills.

Thanks mate and good luck with the upcoming spring tour as well as your new start at the Brumbies.