Veteran flyhalf James O’Connor named in Wallabies squad following injury to Noah Lolesio

James O’Connor has the chance to play successive series against the British and Irish Lions 12 years apart after a stunning Wallabies comeback was locked in.

James O’Connor had resigned himself to missing out on Australia’s squad for the series against the British and Irish Lions – until he bumped into Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt in Brisbane’s CBD on Friday morning.

Not aware that he had been named in the 36-man squad for the three-Test series starting at Suncorp Stadium next Saturday night, O’Connor had crossed paths with a few Wallabies who already knew of their selection in the city when Schmidt appeared.

“Joe comes walking down and he’s like ‘man, I tried to call you’. I was like `oh, you can give me the bad news now’, and then he’s like `you’re in, you'd better get home and pack your bags, we’ve got an hour until the (squad’s) release,” the veteran flyhalf said.

“I’m still a bit rattled … it hasn’t sunk in yet.”

O’Connor, 35, whose most recent of his 64 Wallabies appearances was in 2022, was called in as a replacement for Noah Lolesio, who has been ruled out of the series after suffering a neck injury in last Sunday’s win over Fiji.

He and record-setting Wallabies prop, James Slipper, the most-capped player in Australian rugby, will have the chance to take on the Lions for a second time after playing against the tourists the previous time they visited Australia in 2013.

O’Connor had set himself a selection target for this series when he left the Queensland Reds last year to play for the Crusaders in this season’s Super Rugby Pacific combination.

He played an important role in the Kiwi outfit’s successful title quest to put himself firmly on Schmidt’s radar.

James O’Connor, who played against the British and Irish Lions in 2013, has been named in a 36-man Wallabies squad. Picture: William WEST / AFP

However, when he missed selection in an extended Wallabies squad named before the game against Fiji, O’Connor thought his dreams of another series against the Lions were over.

“Noah’s injury opened up a doorway for me, and even then I still didn’t think I’d made it, so to be here right now and to be given the opportunity to be with this group of men, I’m bloody excited,” he said.

O’Connor said fellow squad flyhalves Ben Donaldson and Tom Lynagh would have “first bite of the cherry” in terms of Test selection, but was happy to help in whatever way he could.

“Anything I can do to help, and that’s what I’ve said to Joe in the past, any little bit of knowledge I can share … I know how big of an occasion (a Lions series) is – it’s bigger than a World Cup,” he said.

“I thought I took it for granted (in 2013). I just was not aware of it. It comes around every 12 years. You get one shot at it usually, so you want your aim to be true.”

Schmidt said O’Connor would bring a “calm voice” and a “voice of experience” to the squad.

“One of the things I’ve learned in a long coaching career is that there’s a lot of player-to-player coaching, particularly when you’ve got good players with good experience,” Schmidt said.

“The time that (O’Connor) can spend out just reviewing training sessions or decisions with the 10s (Donaldson and Lynagh) will be really useful for us, and he sees the game well.

“Experience allows you to see the game a little bit better, because you’ve experienced some circumstances where you’ve made good or bad decisions, or the game has swung on moments where you’ve had to make decisions.

“Having been there and done that, he (O’Connor) can pass on that experience, and in a pretty calm manner.

“He knows Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson well enough that he will pick those two guys up and be really useful.”

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt says James O’Connor’s experience will be vital in Australia’s squad. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Apart from O’Connor, Queensland Reds lock Josh Canham is the only other player added to the squad that was named last month before the Test win over Fiji.

Prop Taniela Tupou has kept his place in the squad despite some up and down form for NSW this season.

“As Wallabies coaches, we have tried to balance continuity with form and freshness, but there were some very tight calls,” Schmidt said.

“We’re conscious of how special it is to play the British and Irish Lions, so for those selected in the squad, they’ll be competing for Test jerseys, while also trying to help others prepare.

“We need to improve our accuracy and cohesion with a very short runway leading up to the first Test here (in Brisbane) in eight days. We are excited by what’s to come.”

Brumbies winger Corey Toole and Western Force back-rower Nick Champion de Crespigny are the only two uncapped players in the squad.

Wallabies: (Forwards) Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, Josh Canham, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Matt Faessler, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Zane Nonggorr, Billy Pollard, David Porecki, Tom Robertson, Will Skelton, James Slipper, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson, (Backs): Filipo Daugunu, Ben Donaldson, Jake Gordon, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Tom Lynagh, Tate McDermott, James O’Connor, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter, Joseph-Aukuso, Corey Toole, Nic White, Tom Wright.