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Where James O'Connor can fit back into the Wallabies

By Online Editors
James O'Connor. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Any indication of how important star utility back James O’Connor will be for the Wallabies this year has been proven by his inclusion in the Australian touring squad to South Africa ahead of their Rugby Championship opener against the Springboks in Johannesburg on July 21.

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The talented but wayward 44-test veteran hasn’t even finalised his contract with Rugby Australia as he looks to complete his move from the Sale Sharks in the Premiership, but that hasn’t stopped Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika from thrusting O’Connor into his side on a training-only basis.

The 29-year-old last featured for the Wallabies in September 2013, but a raft of off-field controversies saw him exiled from the national side, forcing him to head to Europe to take up contracts with London Irish, Toulon and Sale.

James O'Connor
James O’Connor in action for Sale. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Bryn Lennon)

A one-season stint with the Reds in Super Rugby in 2015 wasn’t enough to see him included in Cheika’s World Cup squad that year, but with claims that he has grown in maturity both on and off the field during his time abroad, he now appears to be vital to Australia’s World Cup hopes this year.

With injury seemingly the only thing that could prevent him from attending this year’s World Cup in Japan, the question now is where exactly does O’Connor fit into the Wallabies’ plans?

Capable of playing anywhere in the backline, except halfback, there are a multitude of positions and combinations that Cheika could utilise O’Connor in, but it doesn’t paint a clear picture as to where he could be best used.

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However, former Wallabies coach John Connolly, who worked with O’Connor during his time with the Reds four years ago, has a solution that he believes Cheika could implement into his own squad.

“Working out James’s position is the first thing and it appears that he’s decided, and Steve Diamond at Sale decided, that 12 is his best position,” Connolly said on the Fox Rugby Podcast.

“Good, well that’s important because at fullback he struggled, he was trialled on the wing, he’s definitely not a 10 and we’ll be looking for a backup for [Samu] Kerevi.

“So he may well be that person.

“And he’s played OK, he hasn’t played fantastic in England but he played reasonably well.”

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Kerevi and O’Connor aren’t the only options at second-five, with both Matt Toomua and Kurtley Beale also in the current Wallabies squad in South Africa.

Toomua, Beale and O’Connor would all provide a second playmaking option from the 12 jersey, as opposed to the confrontational, explosive style of play that Kerevi operates at.

James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale during their time together at the Melbourne Rebels in 2012. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Connolly said that could be an issue if the Wallabies are looking to use Kerevi, the current incumbent at second-five, as their first-choice option.

“The downside I suppose, with what you want from a modern 12, is he’s [O’Connor] a totally different player to Kerevi,” Connolly said.

“So if we’re playing a certain style with the Wallabies, and Kerevi’s the frontrunner, you’re looking for a backup 12.

“Young O’Connor plays totally different to that.

“The players he’ll be playing against, the [Ryan] Crottys or the Sonny Bills [Williams], or the [Damian] de Allendes — they’re all very big men that he’ll be opposed to. That may be a challenge for him defensively at the very top level.

“But if you get away from O’Connor, who the backup 12 to Kerevi is, I’m not sure.

“Kurtley has again been rocks and diamonds in that position and he’s probably the frontrunner for 15.

“And I don’t think it’ll be Karmichael Hunt, so James may fit that role as the backup to Kerevi.”

Connolly’s assertions that O’Connor would be best-suited to the midfield was backed up by Cheika when he was pressed on the issues by reporters.

“He can play a bit of everywhere but I’d say in the middle, somewhere in the centres, but he could play in the back three,” Cheika said.

“We’ll work it out.”

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Jon 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

30 Go to comments
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Adrian 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

30 Go to comments
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Trevor 12 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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