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O'Connor backs new Wallabies culture

12th August, 2013
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Controversial and sometimes wayward back James O’Connor is eagerly buying into the revised Wallabies culture and is getting some early credit from new coach Ewen McKenzie.

O’Connor incurred some disciplinary blemishes and unwanted media headlines under former coach Robbie Deans, most recently being spotted at a fast food restaurant at 4am in the week of the second Test against the British and Irish Lions.

“I don’t play rugby to be talked about off the field,” said O’Connor on Monday as he waits to learn if he’ll be selected by McKenzie for Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup opener against the All Blacks in Sydney.

“I’m playing rugby because I love it and that’s what I want to be doing, playing for my country.”

McKenzie spoke to the players after they assembled last week about what he expects in terms of standards of behaviour.

“It’s not hard to do, it’s just putting the team first,” said O’Connor of McKenzie’s requirements.

“I can’t express everything, but it’s something I’m pretty excited about.

“It’s something I know I can be part of.”

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O’Connor revealed he was already making changes to his own approach as well as embracing the new team culture.

“There’s definitely things that I already have changed and am in the process of doing, personal things,” O’Connor said.

“It’s not an easy process, I just keep on moving forward.”

McKenzie recognised and praised O’Connor’s efforts.

“Credit to him, he’s just invested through action more than words,” McKenzie said.

“He’s gone and done a few things which have invested in rugby.

“He went out there and played some club footy. He was water boy one week.

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“I think he actually enjoyed all that, I think he’s recalibrated a little bit.”

While O’Connor has rarely had to worry about making the starting side, he is taking nothing for granted, especially after established prop Benn Robinson was dropped last week.

“That was a surprise to all of us, that was definitely a wake up call,” O’Connor said.

“Even our best performers if you are not playing or not training right, you’re not going to be playing.”

O’Connor was excited about McKenzie’s vision of the way he wants Australia to play, especially the scope for individual expression.

He was philosophical about McKenzie’s decision to move him from five-eighth – where he played against the Lions – and consider him as an outside back.

“I’ve spent most of my time in Test football out wider, so I guess looking at the Lions Test series, we weren’t successful there, so it wasn’t too big a shock,” O’Connor said.

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Currently out of contract after the Melbourne Rebels declined to offer him a new deal, O’Connor said he was only focusing on the Bledisloe Cup matches and not his Super Rugby future at the moment.

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