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The thing that 'p****d' James O'Connor off at Toulon
Wallabies playmaker James O’Connor has been reflecting on his time at Toulon and admits to certain selection frustrations while at the star-studded French side.
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O’Connor lined out in the red and black of Toulon during two stints between 2014 and 2017 and learned a huge amount from the heavyweight talent employed by the club while he was there.
The Australian would play alongside the likes of fellow Wallabies Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell, Springbok flyer Bryan Habana, Fijian wrecking ball Josua Tuisova, French legend Matthieu Bastareaud and All Blacks great Ma’a Nonu – among others.
O’Connor – who suffered two seizures at the club when his off-field antics caught up with him – admits to also learning a lot from wiser heads while in the south of France. The Queensland Red admits that – initially at least – his fellow Aussies were maybe a tad wary of the tearaway maverick and his behaviour on nights out.
“They had fun when they went out. I was reckless,” O’Connor told the Rugby Offload podcast. “At that stage in my career they were probably trying to avoid me. I’d have been bringing them down.
“Especially those two in particular. Drew and Gits were huge for me. They were men. I was still in that boy mindset.
“I hung out with them more and they started showing me what was what. That was the first time I saw the actual balance. These are good men, they’ve got family and they’re playing and they’ve got peace in their lives.
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“I’m still connected with those guys as well.”
However, for all the off-field help, O’Connor admits his struggle to get selected for the biggest games as a starter still rankles a little.
“The thing that pissed me off at Toulon was that I could never nail down a starting spot.
“It was some of the best footy I played in my life, playing for them [Toulon].
“Leigh Halfpenny was playing fullback, where I played as well. [Bryan] Habana was on one wing and Josua was on the other wing and in the centres they had Ma’a and Basta [Bastareaud]. So it was like ‘Where do I go?’
“So I was just moving. I played like 10 to 15 in that backline. Some games I would play 10, then next I would play wing, then 12, then fullback, then 13. So I was just playing all over. But having a lot of fun with it.
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“They were great minds of the game and once again I learned a lot. I was in a better place where I could start learning a bit more about rugby.
“Instead of playing off instincts and they trying to step people, I learned how to manipulate the back field. When to play this, how to play this, why are you doing these things… I was just asking a lot of questions to these guys. They had all their viewpoints and answers and I just kind of blended them into how I played, which was pretty cool.”
His Toulon teammates left an on-field impression on O’Connor when he was there, listing many of his teammates as some of the best he’s played with.
“Specimen-wise, someone who make something out of nothing? Josua Tuisova. Back in 2017 he just couldn’t be touched.
“As complete players of the game I would say Matt Giteau and Ma’a Nonu for sure. I think Ma’a just had everything. He could do everything. There wasn’t one thing he could do and he could just turn it on when he needed in the big moments.
“Gitts, his understanding of the game and his foot speed. He’s just a fighter as well, for a little fella, **** he goes hard. You could always rely on him. You just knew he’d always do the job.”
Current Reds teammate Taniela Tupou is another player who has bowled over Australia – the 135kg prop able to break games almost at will. “The best thing about Nala is that if there’s a moment in a game, I’ll just look at him and say: ‘Bro, I ****ing need something from you here and he’ll just do something for me. Whether it’s a scrum penalty or he’ll make a break and he’ll run 50 or put a hit on and get us the ball back. He’s just that sort of player.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Jake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
9 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
9 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
35 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
35 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
9 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
35 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
9 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
9 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
11 Go to comments