James O’Connor has urged Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt to hold onto his No. 1 pick while also declaring he wants to play for Australia again.
Talk about ~ Lower Rugby PodcastThe Queensland Reds back-up, who is expected to face Wales after suffering a hamstring injury in Friday’s tour game, said he hopes his international career is not over.
O’Connor’s most recent of 64 Test matches came in August 2022, when he started in the defeat to Argentina under Dave Rennie, wearing the number 10 shirt.
O’Connor was not included in the World Cup squad and was not under the tutelage of Eddie Jones, but the former manager invited him to the team’s pre-tournament training camp in Darwin.
Hear JAMES O’CONNOR, MATT TO’OMUA and CHRISTY DORAN perform in the player below.
“I’ve been pretty honest about it. I still want to play for the Wallabies, maybe for another year,” O’Connor said.
“I want to be involved in the British and Irish Lions series, it’s just a question of whether I can do it.
“I think this Wales game is going to be a big test for me because I feel I can do it. I feel I can play at that international level and I feel I have some unfinished business. And I offer something a little bit different to other centres and provide a little bit of coverage from the 10s.
James O’Connor. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
“It’s a good test for me, because I want to see where I’m at. I haven’t played much this year. I think I’ve played pretty well off the bench, created a lot, made good decisions, and maybe overdone it a little bit at times.
“The position I’m in will be important to me as well. Should I continue to fight for my place at the Wallabies or should I continue to mentor the young players coming up? Should I stay at the Reds or should I go overseas?”
O’Connor was a green-faced young player when the Lions last toured Australia, and he was Robbie Deans’ starting No. 10 for the Wallabies.
“What I had then was a little bit more speed and the ability to beat defenders one-on-one… I can still do it, but not at the level I used to.
“When I first started playing rugby I didn’t really know much about it. It didn’t come out like the typical number 10.
“I’m definitely a lot sharper now. I understand the game on a whole different level, and when you’re 10, it takes time. It takes 10 years. The best 10-year-olds in the world tend to be a little bit older because they’ve been learning for years and have accumulated that knowledge.”
Schmidt has a problem. He has to deal with a young team and an older generation, including O’Connor, and he’s running out of options.
O’Connor, who was Tom Linach’s teammate at Reds, said it was important for Schmidt to support whoever he favored long-term.
It was a strategy that neither Dave Rennie nor Eddie Jones felt the need to follow.
“He’s going to do what he thinks is best, and I think he’s still got a few games to decide,” O’Connor said. “But if he does, I’d say put him there. So if it’s going to be Noah, give him the support.
“If there are 10 people, we have to get buy-in from the group, and we all have to play a little bit differently.
“If he’s going to be your guy, you have to put energy into him. And he might not play his best game. every game.
“But from what I’ve seen from Noah, you need to be a good goal kicker. Firstly, because of the margins in Test football, a No. 10 has to be a good goal kicker. That’s your main job.
“The second thing is game management, and Noah does a great job of that. He moves the ball into space, gets the ball to the right players, and he controls the zone very well.
(Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
“The third is the ability to create. He’s got really good footwork. I’d like to see him take the lane a little bit more, because I think every time he does that, he can create.
“I thought he was making a lot of the right decisions. Obviously, in the last game there were a couple of technical executions that weren’t as good as he usually is. But he does everything you need to do in Test rugby.”
O’Connor said it was important for the Wallabies’ No.10 to build cohesion with the outside backs.
“They can give him the confidence to pull the trigger because they have to identify that space for him. That’s where the combination comes in. It can’t just be him calling that ball from behind.”
O’Connor explained the importance of the role.
“I can only speak from experience, but it’s our job to manage everyone’s energy every time we actually get the keys.
“We need the support of the group and the coaches to say, ‘You’re our 10th player, you’re our player,’ and if you keep doing what you’re doing, there might be one game where you’re not popular, but if you play consistently and do this for us, you’re our player.”
Even after Loretio was replaced, O’Connor impressed Ben Donaldson.
“I thought he adjusted the game really well. He’s got a great kick. He’s quick. He’s probably the best player on the line,” O’Connor said.
“Look at what he did in Super Rugby, how many breaks he made and how many goals he scored.
“They play very differently. Him and Noah, even Tommy Linach. A good kicking game, the way he moves is very different. He’s going to grow into a really good player.
“I think you just have to pick somebody and then whoever comes off the bench, either (Nick White) and Donaldson together, or Tate (McDermott) and Thome, you can create that combination.
“So when they show up, they get to know each other really deeply.”
