STIRLING MORTLOCK was at his frenetic best at Twickenham, smashing opponents in the tackle, willing on teammates, organising powwows, going kamikaze-like at the England defence, drilling penalty goals from halfway and, in a few quieter moments, showing he had come of age as an Australian skipper.

But all Mortlock hopes is that his hyperactivity and willingness to lead from the front will have the desired effect of melding the old and the new in the Wallabies touring squad well before the 2011 World Cup, turning them into a rugby superpower.

Australian Test skippers are a diverse breed. There are the stately gentlemen (John Eales), the mischievous (Nick Farr-Jones and Tony Shaw), the studious (Andrew Slack), the free spirit (Mark Ella) and the fatherly figure (John Thornett). None has exactly been like Mortlock.

He carries on as if he has just had one too many helpings from the lolly jar. And that approach certainly worked against England.

Several hours before the game, Mortlock was the only Australian player out on the Twickenham pitch, conducting his own private warm-up. As he put it on Monday: "I just felt that I wanted to get out there and have a bit of a look around."

He was getting into the zone.

Half an hour before kick-off, Mortlock was again out on the pitch, with the team on the halfway line in a huddle. Not for the last time on Saturday, Mortlock used the moment to convince everyone that this was their moment to step up.

He did it again during the second half. The Wallabies had just lost the lead, and it was time for some home truths. The message was again about believing in themselves.

In between, Mortlock was running around here, there and everywhere, sending his opposite, Riki Flutey, into outer space with a fearsome tackle, madly running head first into whoever was in front of him, producing the last pass that led to Australia's only try and, when the chance came, bringing out the big driver and banging over a penalty from 48 metres out. If the prime aim of a captain is to inspire, then Mortlock certainly did that.

Yet the following day, the only scar from his battle was a miniscule cut below his mouth, which required some stitches. He was not too worried about that, instead delighted that by rebounding against England the Wallabies had shown they could rally and control the game in a final quarter.

"We've really got a good balance in this squad," he said. "There are guys who are certainly seasoned at this level, and we also have a large group of guys who are relatively fresh. Two of the All Black games spring immediately to mind where we had leads, and I wouldn't say for the same reason, but we let it slip.

"As a group it takes going through a bit of heartache, and learning some hard lessons, before you can understand what you need to do.

"I don't think we did it perfectly against England, because we made it hard for ourselves. Nonetheless, the underlying belief and effort was there to seal the game, and that's what we did. I think the whole group is learning, as are the leaders in knowing what to do in certain times to not allow an opposition back into the game."

That included bringing everyone in.

"This was a Test where we had to be in the right state of mind, because we knew England would try to dominate us physically," Mortlock said. "We knew it was going to be an extremely tough, physical match, and it was all about making sure we had the confidence in our game plan and belief in ourselves to match that, and then ride it out. Maybe that's why there were a few more huddles than usual. But it wasn't scripted."

It is also clear that the players are listening, which gives Mortlock faith he has grown as a leader. "I feel a lot more comfortable in the role than I have in the past," he said. "The environment which [coach] Robbie [Deans] has placed the group under has also freed up my role as well. But my mindset as a football player and as a leader is that I always want to improve."

With such an attitude of boyish exuberance, don't be surprised if in 2011, at the ripe old age of 34, he is leading Australia for the second time at a World Cup.