Cheika, the driven son of Lebanese immigrants who was a rugged Randwick loose forward but never graduated to the Wallabies, reverted to Moore, the flinty son of Irish immigrants.
"Leadership is going to be a really big part of this Australian team becoming better," Cheika said. "That seniority and respect from all the players with Stephen and the way he looks after the team was very obvious in our gatherings."
Four months on, those alliances will converge on Twickenham for tomorrow's World Cup final when the Wallabies tangle with the tournament favourite All Blacks.
Those who have shared regular chats with Cheika are not surprised his team made it to the final.
He has a habit of making things happen through his skill, energy and connections, while Moore has the right character and loyalty to drive those messages in their Bubble and Squeak routine.
Even as Moore approached his 100th test against Scotland, he was deflecting talk about his personal feat towards the team needs.
"The big thing is you can try and impart that on the younger guys and make them a little bit more comfortable about what we're going through."
Only a late and controversial penalty from referee Craig Joubert and Foley's composure saved Australia's campaign from ruin, while their semifinal victory against the Pumas has given them a chance of more transtasman glory.
Moore began his test career in 2005 and later that year toured Europe as one of the understudies to Brendan Cannon.
"His frame reminds me of Tommy Lawton a bit. He's not as bulky but he has got that great physique which wedges well into that combat in the front row," Cannon said. "He is very good technically and with his leadership. Those things help the Wallabies settle into matches.
"I think he is far more suited to the opening exchanges, the early gunfire. Tatafu Polota-Nau has that Polynesian dynamic and can come on and benefit from a fatiguing defence and complement the work Moore has done and build on it."
Moore brought consistency to his set-piece work and the way he worked with the referees gave the Wallabies strong reference points at the start of these high-stakes tests. Both the Wallabies and All Blacks struggled against some semifinal scrum pressure and their response tomorrow will be pivotal.
When the idea was broached about Moore captaining the Wallabies, some outside the group wondered if his personality was too strong to be a leader, almost to the point that they saw him not as divisive but intractable about how things should be done. That faction felt Michael Hooper might be best to continue in the role he inherited from the injured Moore.
However, Cheika liked the influence Moore could exert and the way he could cope with all the peripheral demands of leadership, while at the same time easing some of those burdens on Hooper. The senior hooker was a natural leader who was able to deal with a spread of personalities who had previously been given too much latitude.
One of his weapons was his sense of humour, although it was pretty dry - in line with his abridged instructions - and could escape those who were not listening intently.
"I think with Cheika being the hard bastard he is, he needed a pretty strong presence to work with him and I think Moore is the only one in that group who has that about him," Cannon said.
Moore was the senior tight forward, he'd been into battle more than anyone in the pack and had all their respect and that was a huge commendation for Cheika.
The 32-year-old hooker would deal with everyone from Giteau to the newest players in the group and was big on team protocols, discipline and process.
"It's black or white, there's no grey. I think he has been a very good conduit between all those different personalities and what is expected of a Wallaby again," Cannon said.
"While he and Cheika have different personalities, the coach recognised the need for a strong lieutenant and I think they are able to complement each other."
Team talks from Moore close to the kickoff in the World Cup final would be concise and very direct. They would mirror what you saw from the Wallabies captain in post-match interviews.
"He is a deep thinker and very conscious of what he is about to say and what I like is he has the clear mind to acknowledge, with all the time differences back in Australia, all the support coming from there during the tournament. It means a lot to many people."
Moore has two young children and his playing future is undecided. Like All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu, he had bought into a Nando's franchise and has an entrepreneurial spirit.
Anyone who leads a test side has all the elements to be a good coach because they are used to thinking about strategies and the strengths and weaknesses of rivals. They begin to appreciate what are the best triggers to motivate players and when to give them space.
Moore might contemplate that crossover into coaching but until that day, he continues to work relentlessly on his scrum, lineout, tackle and breakdown methods.
Life under Cheika's regime would reinvigorate anyone.
He demanded the best from his sides every time they went to the training field. Any complacency had been removed and the changes were significant from the disruptive, undisciplined group involved with McKenzie.
Since a healthy Moore resumed his influence with Cheika, the Wallabies have cranked up another couple of levels.
