Former Rebels skipper named to lead Western Force

Former Melbourne Rebels skipper Michael Wells will lead the Western Force in his first season at the Super Rugby Pacific club.

The 29-year-old backrower has impressed since moving west to reunite with incoming coach Simon Cron, who he worked with at the NSW Waratahs and Sydney club Norths.

It adds another layer to the round one battle between the long-time rival clubs, who meet in Perth on Saturday night.

“I’ve known him (Simon Cron) since 2011, when he first started coaching Norths in Sydney and my relationship with him is pretty aligned in how we see the game,” Wells said in a statement.

“We are both more technically and tactically oriented and reasonably blunt.”

Wells takes over from hooker Feleti Kaitu’u, who led the Force last year under then coach Tim Sampson, who has joined the Rebels as an assistant.

“I definitely learned a lot from having my first experience as a captain of a Super Rugby team last year (Melbourne Rebels),” Wells said.

“What I’ll bring to this role is knowing to put my performance first, and if I’m doing my job, it gives my words a bit more value when I speak.

“I also learned that you need to connect with people on a higher level as a captain.

“My style of leadership is very, I guess, black and white, technical, tactical and to the point.”

The Rebels last week named Victorian born and bred backrower Rob Leota as their new captain.