James O’Connor returns to the Wallabies’ starting XV
Veteran James O’Connor has been selected to start the opening match of the Australian Rugby Championship against the Springboks. However, luck is not on the team’s side, as Ben Donaldson suffered an injury in Thursday’s training. Eight weeks after not being included in Australia’s initial 36-player squad for 2025, O’Connor, 35, will wear the number 10 jersey at the famous Ellis Park in Johannesburg. This change of direction comes after Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt declared last year that Australia needed to leave behind players like O’Connor, Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley, and bet on the emerging trio of Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson. Lolesio’s injuries, who underwent neck surgery after Australia’s narrow victory over Fiji, and Tom Lynagh’s, who suffered a dangerous action in a ruck by British and Irish Lions hooker Dan Sheehan, have forced Schmidt to reconsider his strategy.
Donaldson’s injury is the latest in a series of setbacks in training for the Wallabies. Rob Valetini, Will Skelton and Jake Gordon also suffered injuries before or during the series against the British and Irish Lions. Schmidt has shown confidence in the team that defeated the Lions in the last match in Sydney, with O’Connor as the only change in the starting team that won 22-12. Nick Champion de Crespigny could play his second match, as Schmidt opted for an additional forward to face the Springboks team, despite the world champions having a 5-3 split. O’Connor hasn’t played since the Crusaders’ victory over the Chiefs in the Super Rugby Pacific final, when he came off the bench in the last 90 seconds. He hasn’t played an official match since 2022, when he was called up by then Wallabies coach Dave Rennie. His performance with the Crusaders this season, where he played a finishing role, led to his selection being considered for the Wallabies. Schmidt ultimately included him in the team to face the Lions following Lolesio’s injury. The weekend’s match is a challenge for O’Connor and the Wallabies, as Australia hasn’t beaten the Springboks in South Africa since 2010 and only has one victory at Ellis Park, in 1963. However, Australia should be prepared to face the world champions after three encounters with the Lions, and has also retained the services of world-class lock Will Skelton for their two-match tour of South Africa.In the penultimate play of the training, Donno kicked the ball and stopped. We don’t know the extent of the injury. He will have to undergo a scan. We need to know by next week if we need more coverage. We are trying to find out what is the best coverage for number 10 at Ellis Park.
Joe Schmidt
The Springboks, I think they have improved their game. Tony Brown, I have a lot of respect for him. Felix [Jones], I coached him, I know him well. I worked with Rassie [Erasmus] before, so they have a very strong coaching group. Jerry Flannery too, another Irishman. I expect them to be strong in the attacking game, as they always are. Their kicking game will be very strong. In any loss of ball or space, they have lethal finishers, with [Kurt-Lee] Arendse, [Edwill] van der Merwe. Jesse Kriel is a very strong player.
Joe Schmidt
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
