Boy am I ready for Sonny: O'Connor

[travelling_gerry]

Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent | June 1, 2009


JAMES O'CONNOR last night admitted he was primed to take on Sonny Bill Williams and company if he is handed the Wallabies fullback jersey for Saturday night's match against the Barbarians at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has provided enough clues that the teenager is in serious contention for the No. 15 position after withdrawing him from the Australian under-20 World Cup squad, explaining it was because he wanted to fast-track him to the Test side.

Deans said on the day the Wallabies squad was announced that O'Connor "warrants a start".

He repeated yesterday that O'Connor, despite having played in the centres for the Western Force this year, would get his first Wallaby chance this season at fullback.
Although just 18, O'Connor said he was prepared to take up the challenge if Deans approached him to say he was in the starting XV for the opening match of the season.

"I'd like to think I'm ready," O'Connor said when he arrived at the Wallabies' training camp in Coogee.

"I like to push myself pretty hard and I've had my eyes on this position for a while. There are a lot of good guys going for it, so if I'm given that opportunity I am going to take it with both hands."

When asked what he could provide at fullback, O'Connor said he was planning to be "the second ball player".

Then again, forgotten by many is that O'Connor is the incumbent Wallaby fullback, having played there in the final end-of-season tour match last December, when they defeated the Barbarians 18-11 at Wembley. O'Connor was the goalkicker in London, successful with his three shots.

That night Adam Ashley-Cooper, the other main fullback candidate, was among the Wallabies' best when playing at inside centre.

Another fresh face in line for a Wallabies starting spot is Force teammate Matt Hodgson, who is in contention for the blindside flanker spot.

As expected when the Wallabies arrived in camp yesterday, the main subject of conversation was where exactly Williams would play against them.

Deans predicted Williams would be named at No. 13 for the Barbarians, which would lead to a head-on encounter with Stirling Mortlock, the Wallabies captain.

Mortlock said yesterday he could not wait for the tussle with rugby's most controversial figure. "The prospect of marking up against Sonny Bill, who is an extremely gifted athlete, is really a positive one," he said.

"I'm sure, likewise, he would be excited to be playing and testing himself against the Wallabies in a code he has been playing for a year or so. It will be a great night.

"It won't be a Test match, but, considering the quality in the Barbarians team, it certainly is as good as a Test match - if not stronger."

Deans indicated it would be dangerous if the Wallabies underestimated Williams. Referring to Williams's dabble with professional boxing last week, Deans said: "I don't think he will be feeling a lot of pressure having just won his first knockout.
"Not too much will daunt him, I don't think. But obviously he will be conscious of the scrutiny this week, because there will be a lot of interest in how he performs in a rugby international.

"Still, he is well versed in the cauldron. Admittedly, he is an unknown quantity as he hasn't played at this level in union before. But he has a pretty significant background in union now, so I think he'll bring a fair amount of composure and clarity to his game. He's had a full season of division one rugby in France and he's capable."

Deans also confirmed a Herald report that former Australian and Argentine Test prop Patricio Noriega will be involved with coaching the Wallabies Test pack.


http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...708350101.html

[tragic]

Just watch for that shoulder of SBW's, JO'C... it has bad habits.

[welshrugbyfan]

JOC is still a boy, SBW will run over the top of him.

Lets not talk shit here like him or not SBW is built for the game and can play rugby regardless of the code.

[GIGS20]

As long as Rabbit doesn't believe in himself too much, he'll be OK stopping SBW, Don't matter who you are, you can't run without legs! If Rabbit tries to go high he's toast, but he seems to be a pretty good judge of when to do that and when not to.

[welshrugbyfan]

Don't matter who you are, you can't run without legs!

There was one man who defied that statement.

The great man.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlsMTrGa_4k[/ame]

And NO I do not put SBW in any category where he is compared to Lomu.

[GIGS20]

Don't want to be picky WRF, but I didn't see a lot of leg tackling there, there was a bunch of grasping for air, a fair bit of being steamrollered when going high and a bunch of trying to go low and getting stepped.

The couple of times he was brought down, was it by a guy going high or a guy going low?

And then there was Mike Catt!........but seriously....Lomu was a freak! SOOOOOO much speed and SOOOOO much power. If SBW does that to Rabbit, good luck to him, he'll be doing that to anybody in the world!

Whenever you're not sure of winning the strength battle, hit him in the shorts!

[welshrugbyfan]

The couple of times he goes down its because of a series of axe chops leading to the beanstalk toppling.

Mike Catt = Toilet Tackler...

You know crouches down in the tackle like he's taking a sh**....

SBW will run over JOC

[GIGS20]

SBW will run over JOC

Guess we'll know in 10 days won't we.

All I can say is Rabbit's chopped some pretty tall timber on his own in the S14.

[jargan83]

The only reason SBW is playing is that the ARU wants bums on seats. Like GIGS stated, JO'C has chopped down some pretty tall timber in Super 14