With Cooper out of the picture its OConnors time to shine
During the next three weeks, starting with Sundayâs (Monday, 1.15am, AEDT) Test against Scotland, Wallabies No.10 James OâConnor has the chance to remind everyone he still has it.
OâConnor would have been the Wallabiesâ first-choice five-eighth this year had injuries not cruelled his season, and now he gets his first opportunity of 2021 at Murrayfield, 12 years since his first and only Test against Scotland.
James OâConnor and Quade Cooper share a moment after the Wallabies beat the Springboks on the Gold Coast in September.Credit:Rugby Australia/Andrew Phan
Noah Lolesio, waiting in the wings after a late call-up to the UK, did a fine job against France in July, but found things a lot tougher against the All Blacks.
As OâConnor edged back to full fitness, Wallabies coach Dave Rennie turned to Quade Cooper during the Rugby Championship and the Wallabies havenât lost a Test since, registering five straight victories for the first time since they delivered seven in a row in 2013 and 2014.
With Cooper having controversially withdrawn from the spring tour, the stage is set for OâConnor.
Not even the Wallabies are sure if Cooperâs body will allow him to compete at the next World Cup â" he will be 35 when the pool matches begin in France â" so this is OâConnorâs opportunity to reclaim the No.10 jumper from his good mate Cooper and make it his own.
James OâConnor played a key role in Queenslandâs thrilling Super Rugby AU title win.Credit:Getty
âItâs been nice, but I want to be starting,â OâConnor said. âWeâve been good friends for a long time. Itâs been great to be able to connect back on tour, especially when we were rooming together.
âQuadeâs been one of my best mates since I came into the program when I was 17. When he came back, it was a surprise, of course it was. I wasnât expecting it.
âJust watching him, heâs constantly giving back. Looking back through my journal, thatâs something I was writing about a lot. I want to give back and really put the team first.â
Sub-par showings from OâConnor in the next few weeks could open the door for Cooper to return for matches against England in July next year when the sides do battle in a three-Test series.
If Cooper is there, it will be one of the most captivating battles for a key position in a Wallabies side in recent memory, between two players who have been key figures in the successes and failures of Australian rugby for the past decade.
Upcoming matches against Scotland, England and Wales will certainly give Rennie clarity, right on the halfway mark of a World Cup cycle.
OâConnor has plenty of experience playing in the UK and will have studied Scotland closely, particularly given their productive Six Nations campaign earlier in the year.
Quade Cooper made a stunning return to the Wallabies line-up, leading Australia to five straight wins.Credit:Getty
âHeâs keen as,â said Rennie of OâConnor. âWeâve got a lot of confidence in James. He has played a handful of Tests last year. He brings a lot of confidence and experience.â
OâConnor has grown up a lot and knows he must set an example for players many years his junior.
Initially, there was hesitation about the legitimacy of his second shot at redemption in 2019, following an ill-fated season at the Queensland Reds in 2015. OâConnor signed a two-year deal in 2019 â" a World Cup year â" with behavioural clauses, such was the depth of distrust in a player who had let Australian rugby officials down too many times.
At the Reds in 2020, those questions faded. It was clear this was a different, more mature OâConnor.
âItâs about making sure you play well on Saturday,â OâConnor said. âQuade and I are senior members of the squad. There are guys who now look to us to see what our habits are. Itâs about setting a good example and the best way you can do that is by being authentic.
âWe both came in pretty young. We were quite impressionable and, obviously, at that age, youâre taking everything in, youâre like a sponge, youâre watching what your idols are doing, what theyâre like at training, how they act off the field â" you pick literally everything up.
âWeâve had a few conversations about how much energy we used to expend off the field. We would finish training and immediately hop on a train to go to a restaurant or go shopping. Weâd just always be doing something. Thatâs definitely shifted nowadays.â
The next question was OâConnorâs ability to play five-eighth. OâConnor had built his body to play inside-centre at Sale Sharks and in an interview with the Herald last year conceded he had shied away from the pressure that comes with any No.10 jersey.
That changed in 2020 as he led the Reds around the field with aplomb and eventually was picked as Rennieâs first-choice playmaker.
While Cooperâs popularity is understandably sky high, steering Australia to victory against Scotland would go a long way to reminding people why OâConnor is still the favourite to be the Wallabiesâ main man at the 2023 World Cup.
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