Icelandic voyage of discovery that led to rebirth of James O’Connor

James O’Connor’s fresh rise as a potential Wallabies five-eighth began in a blizzard in Iceland.

James O’Connor gets involved in a skills clinic with year 6 students at Cannon Hill Anglican College on Monday. Picture: AAP

James O’Connor’s fresh rise as a potential Wallabies five-eighth began in a blizzard in Iceland where his destructive ego was ­broken.

The playmaker at the heart of the remodelled Queensland Reds backline is not a new team-first figure by accident for Saturday’s next step at Suncorp Stadium.

He’s also the experienced voice warning teammates not to get carried away by the 64-5 thrashing of the Sunwolves now the far tougher Sharks are next up.

Watch every match of the 2020 Vodafone Super Rugby Season LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

The upbeat O’Connor was on Monday radiating his new sense of purpose like a compass after explaining the extreme steps he took to find it.

In 2018, O’Connor embraced Saviour World, a men’s wellbeing organisation, and found himself confronted with a trip of self-discovery in Iceland. “We did eight-hour hikes and came back to hour-long sauna sessions, deprivation tanks, meditation and breathing work,” O’Connor said.

“It was all literally to peel back the layers to who I really am because I’d lost my way.

“Breaking the ego was part of it.

“I had to become accountable, honest, find what life I wanted to lead and why I play rugby.”

O’Connor wears his new insights like a light armour and it is helping him stay grounded.

He’s not getting caught up in forecasts he’ll be wearing the Wallabies’ No 10 jersey against Ireland in two Tests in July.

“Playing No 10 wasn’t something I expected at the Reds but I’m loving the extra time with the ball in hand and guys around me willing to run into walls or holes that I’m picking out,” O’Connor said.

The rush defence of the Durban-based Sharks, with pacy backs sprinting to disrupt in the centres, will be a great test of O’Connor as a playmaker. His honesty extends to a rare critique of his 2013 experience when Wallabies coach Robbie Deans gambled on him at No 10 against the British and Irish Lions. The Wallabies lost the series 2-1, O’Connor was no leader when immature off the field and the experiment at five-eighth was dumped.

“It genuinely hurt I can now admit,” O’Connor said.

“I thought I played average. I hadn’t spent enough time there.

“I thought I could do it but I didn’t understand the game well enough because Test level is a much different game. It takes time to learn to play No 10.

“I want to be the full package and the more time I spend in the saddle the more I learn about game control.”

THE COURIER-MAIL