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Michael O'Connor is a brilliant choice as the third Wallabies selector

19th February, 2019
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19th February, 2019
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Michael O’Connor is all class, on and off the field.

He kick-started his stellar international career with the all-conquering 1977 Australian Schoolboys that was captained by Tony Melrose, and included the three Ellas, Wally Lewis and Michael Hawker.

The side won all five internationals by 144 points to 29, and the other 11 games by 409 to 68 – taking their awesome tour result to 553 points and giving up just 97 to become the benchmark.

O’Connor was an integral member of that side, as he was in every other side throughout his career in both codes.

He was a 13-cap Wallaby centre from 1979 to 1982, before switching to rugby league with the Dragons for 78 games, and on to captain Manly to the premiership during his 115 games.

Throw in 19 Origins for NSW and 18 for the Kangaroos and O’Connor was a very special footballer.

Not one of the current Wallabies has mastered the basics of pass, catch, support, retain possession and tackle, but O’Connor was in total control of the lot.

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His frame was built for speed and he was so superbly balanced that he was poetry in motion, with the likes of Reg Gasnier, and Ken Irvine. There could be no greater comparison, and the reason why he crossed for 122 league tries.

O’Connor also had nerves of steel, with no better example than the second Origin clash in 1991, at the Sydney Football Stadium.

With the score locked at 12-all, O’Connor had a sideline conversion to keep the series alive. Rain was bucketing down in the shadow of full-time, and the leather ball was more like a brick.

In front of 41,520 drenched patrons and millions of live television viewers, O’Connor covered the black dot all the way.

But he was one of the most under-rated goal-kickers of his era, despite landing 424 all up in rugby league club and representative games.

When O’Connor retired from the 13-man code, he returned to rugby as coach of the Australian sevens squad, from 2008 to 2014, claiming a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Prior to that, he was a Wallabies selector in 2006 and 2007, when John Connolly was coach and Scott Johnson his attack coach.

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Fast forward a dozen years and O’Connor is about to link with Johnson again as the two new Australian selectors, with current coach Michael Cheika.

It’s an intriguing trio, with all three very strong-willed.

Their first meeting behind closed doors promises to be of epic proportions as they sort each other out.

But it won’t be a level playing field. Johnson is the boss as the newly created director of rugby, making Cheika answerable to him, not the board.

So with O’Connor in tow as well, the Wallabies won’t be selected out of position – as has been the case in the past – which should make Michael Hooper nervous. Which number jersey will Kurtley Beale and Israel Folau wear? Will Quade Cooper be back in contention?

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One thing’s for sure, there won’t be a dull moment leading into the Rugby World Cup.

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