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James O’Connor hasn’t performed a Test in virtually 3 years, however Wallabies trainer Joe Schmidt has stored the door ajar for the Super Rugby veteran to make a fairytale go back to the nationwide arrange, 12 years after dressed in the No.10 jersey in opposition to the Lions.
Despite now not selecting O’Connor remaining yr and the 34-year-old transferring to the Crusaders this yr, Schmidt mentioned the flexible again had one thing few others possessed in Australian rugby: big-match revel in.
Most idea O’Connor’s world days had been in the back of him when he fell out of favour beneath Dave Rennie, earlier than Eddie Jones regarded previous him too. However, Jones did invite him for the Wallabies’ fast pre-World Cup camp in Darwin.
It neatly and in reality appeared like the curtain had dropped on O’Connor’s hopes of a world go back after he overlooked the vast majority of the 2024 Super Rugby season on account of damage.
It resulted in Les Kiss and the Reds providing O’Connor a much-reduced contract extension, because the membership became its consideration to its adolescence: Tom Lynagh and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips.
Keen to turn out that he nonetheless had one remaining dance left in him, O’Connor jumped on the probability to sign up for the famed Crusaders – and the playmaker has made each and every put up a winner since.
Indeed, remaining month he kicked the Crusaders to the most important after-the-siren win over the Blues, as he as soon as once more confirmed his capability to ship beneath force.
James O’Connor is mobbed by means of his Crusaders teammates after touchdown a match-winning penalty in opposition to the Blues. (Photo by means of Joe Allison/Getty Images)
The match-winning cameo off the bench got here after a sequence of robust performances off the bench, the place he supplied the cool head to guide the Crusaders to a surprising resurgence in 2025 after the kings of Super Rugby fell off a cliff in Rob Penney’s go back to the franchise.
The turnaround resulted in a number of pundits, together with Morgan Turinui, announcing that O’Connor had re-emerged at the nationwide radar.
On Tuesday, Schmidt published he had now not simplest spoken to O’Connor, however that the Wallaby, who made his Test debut in opposition to Italy in 2008 however hasn’t performed since a irritating afternoon in Argentina in mid-2022, was once within the variety body.
“I talked to James. We had a really good chat,” Schmidt advised journalists in Melbourne.
“With James, he’s still playing in our local comp. He’s not based currently in Australia, but I don’t think that precludes him.
“I don’t think we’ve precluded anyone. We want to be as strong as we can be for a pinnacle event.
“I know there’ll be lots of commentary around whether selections are right, but we will put a lot of effort into trying to get them right.”
James O’Connor in motion in opposition to the Lions in 2013. (Photo: Paul Barkley/LookPro)
Asked whether or not O’Connor’s resolution to transport to New Zealand was once other to others who had signed offers in a foreign country out of doors of Super Rugby, Schmidt mentioned it was once now not simply the reality it was once a “little bit closer to home” however added that his revel in may just turn out necessary for the showpiece match.
“I think he took the Crusaders opportunity to challenge himself,” Schmidt mentioned.
“Because the Reds, you’ve got Tom Lynagh playing there, you’ve got Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, and they’re a couple of guys really on the upswing. Both very good players coming through.
“And so James, he would bring experience back into the group, a little bit of versatility in that he’s played 12 in his career as well.
“Both Tom, even Noah [Lolesio] last year, he’s still young in terms of international experience. So with all those players, it’s nice to have an experienced head.
“Having come from the All Blacks in recent times, we had guys like Beauden Barrett, 100 Test All Black, Damian McKenzie, so experienced, Richie Mo’unga. Between those three, they’ve got 200 Test of All Blacks experience.
“So comparatively, it’s a very inexperienced group – and James would bring that experience.
“It’s part of the conundrum for us and we’ll be working hard trying to get the best balance.”
Unsurprisingly, O’Connor – a veteran of 64 Tests and two World Cup campaigns, the place he led the Wallabies to a semi-final in New Zealand after a grasp penalty to sink the Springboks in Wellington – was once previous subsidized by means of Lynagh to be within the combine for a go back.
“Of course. He’s still playing at a high level … the Crusaders are going really well,” mentioned 22-year-old Lynagh, the son of Wallabies nice Michael, who moved to Queensland as an adolescent from England so he might be mentored by means of O’Connor.
“I don’t see why not – everyone’s hand’s up for selection and Rabs (O’Connor) is going well.”
With the ACT Brumbies in 3rd and Queensland fourth at the Super ladder, Schmidt mentioned avid gamers concerned may just use the finals to push for variety. The Crusaders sit down along the Chiefs on the best of the standings, with O’Connor set to play extra of a job within the lead as much as the finals after Taha Kemara’s season-ending knee damage.
“It’s got to be taken into consideration, doesn’t it? Once you get to those big play-off games, that’s the highest level they play outside of Test football, said Schmidt.
“So you want to add a little bit of extra weight onto those performances.”
Bulldogs trainer Luke Beveridge with Wallabies head trainer Joe Schmidt after a media alternative at Mission Whitten Oval on May 06, 2025 in Melbourne. (Photo by means of Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)
While Schmidt’s former right-hand guy Andy Farrell will title his British and Irish Lions squad on Thursday evening, the New Zealander received’t title his squad for greater than a month.
It way the choice fight will accentuate because the Super Rugby Pacific season edges against the finals.
Schmidt was once talking along Western Bulldogs AFL trainer Luke Beveridge in Melbourne – the new town of the second one Lions Test on August 26.
The second-year Wallabies trainer, who remaining week published he had signed a nine-month extension to verify a transition with Les Kiss was once imaginable following subsequent yr’s Super Rugby season, mentioned he had spoken to the long-serving Dogs trainer about brief and long-term making plans and was once prepared to go away a favorable legacy in Australian rugby.
“It’s funny. It’s exactly one of the things that Luke and I talked about, how do we deliver in the short-term and plan in the long-term,” he mentioned.
“I think that’s always one of the challenges, because we’ve got to get the short-term right. That’s even just the short-term day-to-day training, to get the short-term Test focus right.
“For us, it’s quite easy to do that, to be short-term focused when you’ve got the Lions coming, because that’s such a pinnacle event for us.
“But we are talking in terms of World Cups and that transition to Les coming in and taking over and trying to make sure that we are in a really good place when he does come to take over, because I think the better place we can be in, in a year’s time or 18 months’ time, I think the better place we are to continue to grow into the World Cup. It’s double-edged a little bit.
“You’ve got to get the short-term right with a long-term focus.
“There’s a great book, Turning the Ship Around, we were talking about books earlier on, where a lot of how you perceive your worth is your legacy rather than your involvement at the time in the fray.
“I’m just so keen that we have a legacy that builds us into the World Cup that’s successful.”
