Monday Maul: How James O’Connor could be the answer to the Wallabies’ playmaking woes
Joe Schmidt is set to make key selection changes for the Wallabies’ series against the Lion. JULIAN LINDEN writes how a clutch James O’Connor could fix the Aussies’ playmaking woes.
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Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt should give serious consideration to picking James O’Connor for the British and Irish Lions series.
At 34, O’Connor may not have the legs and lungs to play a full game against the combined might of the Lions, but he wouldn’t have to because he’s got something perhaps even more valuable.
Now plying his trade off the bench for the Crusaders, the Kiwis have once again shown Australia how to extract the most out of older and experienced players with the smarts to win tight matches.
O’Connor did exactly that on the weekend, calmly nailing a 37-metre penalty shot after the final siren to secure victory over the Blues to keep the Crusaders on top of the Super Rugby standings.
One kick doesn’t make a season but O’Connor is a proven clutch performer and the Wallabies will need as many cool heads as they can muster if they want to challenge the Lions.
History shows that goal kicking at the death is likely to play a pivotal role in the series and with no-one sure who the Wallabies playmaker will be, having an old head and reformed wild boy like O’Connor in the squad should be a no-brainer.
No Australian rugby fans needs reminding of how the Wallabies fell to pieces at the 2023 Rugby World Cup when Eddie Jones went all-in on younger players he thought would step up to the plate rather than stick with players who had already shown they can.
It was selection lunacy and was the disaster that should never be allowed to happen again, and hopefully won’t under Schmidt, who has already shown a preference for sticking with players with the runs on the board.
Since taking over the reins, Schmidt hasn’t picked O’Connor, partially because of his preference to only choose players based in Australia, but that could well change.
It’s a flawed idea which could and should change because it just doesn’t stack up when the Wallabies don’t have enough depth to dictate where players earn their crust
Already heavy underdogs against the Lions, the Wallabies must pick the best players at their disposal to give themselves any chance of upsetting the formidable tourists, who have only ever lost one series in Australia (2001).
In O’Connor’s case, he should be rewarded, not punished for playing Super Rugby on the other side of the Tasman because any player with ambitions to improve their game could do worse than spend time playing in New Zealand.
It worked for Martin Johnson, the captain of the England side that beat the Wallabies in Sydney to win the Rugby World Cup in 2003.
Before he became Test star and honoured with an OBE then a CBE from Queen Elizabeth II, Johnson spent two seasons in New Zealand while he was in his late teens and was even picked for the NZ Under 21s side, where he played against a young John Eales.
And it’s been a great move for the evergreen O’Connor, who has reinvented himself as the perfect replacement to come on the field and ice games.
But if not O’Connor, then who, because there’s no simple answer to the biggest dilemma the selectors’ face.
Right now, Australia’s leading contenders for the critical five-eighth jersey are all relative youngsters on their way up, which is fine for one spot, but brings added risks if both the starter and the replacement are wet behind the ears.
Noah Lolesio was Schmidt’s first-choice number 10 on last year’s end of season to Europe but has only had limited time on the paddock this season because of injuries and has already announced he’s heading to Japan next season, putting his selection in jeopardy if Schmidt sticks with his hard line approach.
Ben Donaldson has strong claims for both the starting and replacement roles so is close to a shoo-in for selection.
One of the few success stories from the 2023 World Cup, he has been in great form with the Western Force this season and has also shown he can retain his composure under pressure, calmly landing a last-minute penalty to help Australia beat Argentina 20-19 on the road last year.
The other candidate is Tom Lynagh, the son of 1991 World Cup winner Michael Lynagh, who has been making strides with Queensland and formed a good combination with Tate McDermott, but has only played three Tests so it would be a big step up, so O’Connor’s experience might tip the scales in his favour.
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Originally published as Monday Maul: How James O’Connor could be the answer to the Wallabies’ playmaking woes