James O’Connor is the talk of the town in Super Rugby Pacific at the moment, with a lot of fans calling for Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt to pick the playmaker in the squad to face the British & Irish Lions – a selection former All Black Israel Dagg would agree with.
O’Connor completed a shock move from the Queensland Reds to the Crusaders ahead of the 2025 campaign, and the highly experienced Wallaby has so far repaid the faith shown by coach Rob Penney and the team’s passionate fanbase.
Taha Kemara has consistently featured in the run-on side as the Crusaders’ first-choice No. 10 while O’Connor has been called upon to close out matches, including last week’s thriller at home against the Blues.
Commentator Grant Nisbett described O’Connor as “a local hero” in Christchurch after the first five-eighth nailed a final-play penalty to beat the Blues 25-22. That was O’Connor’s second penalty in quick succession, and the former Wallaby had been clinical in general play.
O’Connor hasn’t played for the Wallabies in three years but the odds of a fascinating reunion with the national set-up appear to be on the rise, with Dagg echoing the opinion that many supporters seem to share ahead of the Lions Series.
“People are talking about him playing in the Anzac team, etcetera, [but] I genuinely think Joe Schmidt… is going to genuinely take him serious and get him in amongst the fold,” Dagg recently said on Sport Nation.
“I think it would be a good move for Rugby Australia. 10 isa very pivotal position that needs a whole lot of experience, and when you’ve got Tate McDermott and you’ve got other players in the nine position there that are experienced, why not add another one to sure up that nine-10 combination.
“It’s a conversation that is growing and gaining merit and could potentially be a part of it.
“I didn’t see the signing coming and I probably didn’t see it happening the way that it has. This has grown Taha Kemara’s game, he’s turned into an absolute consistent player, bar the kicking.”
On a relatively recent episode of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby O’Connor suggested Waratahs flyhalf Lawson Creighton could be in the mix for Wallabies honours. With Noah Lolesio heading offshore after signing a short-term deal in Japan, it seems a spot is up for grabs.
In 2024, Schmidt almost always overlooked players who had signed deals overseas, which has led some to rule Lolesio out of Wallabies contention. O’Connor instead suggested Creighton would be in the mix alongside Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson.
But, incredibly, the chat surrounding the New Zealand-based No. 10 is getting louder and louder by the week. It seems entirely possible that O’Connor could feature for the Wallabies against the Lions, 12 years on from starring in the 2013 Series.
“I think he’s a shoo-in,” Dagg added.
“I think he’s going to get selected for the Lions Series, it’s only around the corner. Not too far away and James O’Connor’s name is on that list.”
