MELBOURNE :James O’Connor is in the Wallabies’ selection frame and his experience could prove useful in a squad of relatively young flyhalves, head coach Joe Schmidt said on Tuesday.
O’Connor will turn 35 before the first British and Irish Lions test in Brisbane in July but the 64-cap Wallaby has been in good form at the Canterbury Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific, catching the attention of the Wallabies’ coach.
Schmidt said he had had a “good chat” with O’Connor, who wore the Wallabies’ number 10 against the Lions during Australia’s 2-1 defeat in the 2013 series.
“James, he would bring experience back into the group (and) a little bit of versatility in that he’s played 12 in his career as well,” the New Zealander told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Schmidt’s preferred flyhalf in his first season was Noah Lolesio. Tom Lynagh, 22, who made his debut for the Wallabies last year, is also in good form for the Queensland Reds.
“Both Tom and even Noah, he’s still young in terms of international experience.
“So with all those players, it’s nice to have an experienced head.
“James would bring that experience and so it’s part of the conundrum for us, and we’ll be working hard to get the best balance.”
After months of speculation, Schmidt’s successor as Wallabies coach was confirmed last week, with Queensland Reds boss Les Kiss set to take over from mid-2026.
Though Schmidt worked closely with Kiss during his successful stint at Ireland, the succession plan has not been universally welcomed by fans and rugby pundits.
The handover will give Kiss only a year in the role before Australia hosts the 2027 World Cup.
Looking to allay concerns, Schmidt said he was determined to leave a legacy that would set the Wallabies up for a successful World Cup and that his coaching staff would help with the transition.
Schmidt’s assistants include forwards coach Laurie Fisher, scrum coach Mike Cron and lineout coach Geoff Parling.
“A lot of people focus on head coaches but we’ve got a really good staff that are building a really good foundation in the Wallabies and a lot of staff will stay consistent,” he added.
“Les knows a number of those staff quite well and so I think that will help smooth the transition.
“Hopefully that sees a successful springboard into 2027.”
