The have gone back to the future with veteran named to start in Australia’s opener against the Springboks.
Just eight weeks after he was omitted from Australia’s first 36-man squad of 2025, the 33-year-old Leicester-bound playmaker is set to wear the No. 10 jersey at Johannesburg’s famed Ellis Park early Sunday morning [AEST].
It is an about-face, of sorts, from Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt who last year put a metaphorical stake in the ground, declaring Australia had to move on from the likes of O’Connor, Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley, and instead back the emerging trio of Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson.
But injuries first to Lolesio, who after Australia’s narrow win over Fiji, and then Tom Lynagh, who was on the end of a , have since forced Schmidt’s hand.
It was thought, however, that Schmidt would turn to Donaldson and instead bring O’Connor off the bench in South Africa, but the Kiwi has seemingly opted for experience over potential, with Donaldson missing the 23 altogether.
With just the one forced change in the starting 15, Schmidt has shown faith in his squad that downed the Lions in the final Test in Sydney, retaining his much of his 23 with Nick Champion de Crespigny moving into the 23 to bolster the forward pack in a six-two bench split.
O’Connor, meanwhile, hasn’t played since the Crusaders’ victory over the Chiefs in the Super Rugby Pacific final, when he came off the bench for the final 90 seconds of his side’s 16-12 victory.
And the 64-Test veteran hasn’t played a Test since 2022, when he was recalled to the national team by then-Wallabies coach Dave Rennie.
But his form for the Crusaders this season, when he largely filled a finishers’ role, led to calls for him to be considered for Wallabies selection once more, which Schmidt eventually heeded when he added the 33-year-old to his squad to face the Lions after Lolesio’s injury.
The weekend’s assignment could not be more daunting for O’Connor nor the Wallabies, though, with Australia having not beaten the Springboks in South Africa since 2011 and having only one win at Ellis Park, from way back in 1963.
But Australia should at least be battle-hardened for a date with the world champions following three torrid encounters with the Lions, while they have also retained the services of world-class lock Will Skelton for their two-game tour of South Africa.
Wallabies:Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch, James O’Connor, Nic White, Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight, Tom Hooper, Will Skelton, Nick Frost, Taniela Tupou, Billy Pollard, James Slipper.
Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Tate McDermott, Andrew Kellaway.
