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Thread: O’Connor to become the everywhere man

  1. #1
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    O’Connor to become the everywhere man

    O’Connor to become the everywhere man



    30th January 2009, 9:00 WST
    Expect to see Wallabies whiz-kid James O’Connor at fly-half, inside centre, full-back and all the way back in the grandstand at Western Force matches this season.

    Force coach John Mitchell revealed yesterday he intends to expose O’Connor to a variety of positions during Super 14 without burning him out mentally or physically.

    “He’s extremely versatile but you have to remember he’s only 18, so there’s no use playing him in the front line the whole competition,” Mitchell said.

    “We’re going to have to manage him carefully. He’ll start some games, be on the bench in others and maybe not play in some at all.

    “Having said that, it’s nice to have a player who is so versatile because it gives us so many options.”

    Depending on need, Force followers might on occasion see O’Connor at fly-half and Matt Giteau revert to inside centre.

    O’Connor played only four Super 14 matches last season, three as a starter, before being called up for the Wallabies’ end-of-year tour of Europe.

    National coach Robbie Deans used the tour to blood several up-andcoming players. In O’Connor’s case, being sent on to the field near the end of the Test against Italy at Padua had the added benefit of forever tying him to Australia and disqualifying him from representing New Zealand or South Africa, for whom he was also eligible.

    Other than O’Connor, Mitchell does not expect any startling emergences this season.

    “For the first time, we’ve got a lot of continuity and stability this year,” he said. “It’s unlikely any surprises will come through.”

    The Force will enter the new season with a full complement of backs, but Mitchell knows injuries will take their toll because a competition as intense and far-flung as Super 14 allows minimal chance for recovery.

    Considerable depth of the backs division would enable him to spread the load. “It’s going to be horses for courses,” he said when asked if he had a starting line-up in mind.

    The Force have their final pre-season match against the Queensland Reds at Ballymore next Thursday night. The curtain-raiser will pit the RugbyWA Academy squad against the Reds Academy.

    Super 14 starts on February 13 when the Force host Auckland at Subiaco Oval.
    • The Wallabies will feel the pinch of the global financial crisis after the Australian Rugby Union announced a cut to Test match fees.

    Players were expecting to receive $12,374 a Test but have agreed to $11,500, according to the Rugby Union Players Association.


    DAVE HUGHES

    http://www.thewest.com.au:80/default...ntentID=121958

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    Champion Contributor sandgroperrugby's Avatar
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    Realities of the situation blood him up and see where his skills excel!! Problem with that is you can become a bench player that can fill all positions.

    Really liked watching O’Connor late last year give Giteau extra room in the centres the same way that Berrick Barnes does in the Wallabies. Giteau plays much better with more room to attack the defence.

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    Player chiselhead's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sandgroperrugby View Post
    Realities of the situation blood him up and see where his skills excel!! Problem with that is you can become a bench player that can fill all positions.

    Really liked watching O’Connor late last year give Giteau extra room in the centres the same way that Berrick Barnes does in the Wallabies. Giteau plays much better with more room to attack the defence.
    Maybe Gits should play 15? Plenty of room there

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    How about some running rugby from the attack coach?

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    Quote Originally Posted by travelling_gerry View Post
    O’Connor to become the everywhere man



    • The Wallabies will feel the pinch of the global financial crisis after the Australian Rugby Union announced a cut to Test match fees.

    Players were expecting to receive $12,374 a Test but have agreed to $11,500, according to the Rugby Union Players Association.


    DAVE HUGHES

    http://www.thewest.com.au:80/default...ntentID=121958
    What a HUGE pay cut for each test, hate to be a player with this global recession going on at the moment.

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    Veteran mudskipper's Avatar
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    I wouldn't expect too much from JOC this year... the fans and media should avoid doing the same as the Tahs did with to Kurtley Beale... and not talk him up too much, it only adds unnecessary pressure.

    JOC might be a Whiz kid at schoolboys and in the odd 7s match however a season of tier one S14 rugby is somewhat different, as he will find out...

    As Mitchell said "...manage him carefully"... would be wise.... or the flame may blow out… he will be a better player for it in 2010-2011…

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    Last edited by mudskipper; 30-01-09 at 19:40.

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    I think JO'C proved this year that he was more mature rugbywise than Beale and Cooper were at his age. He barely put a foot wrong in any of the Super 14 games or Tests that I saw. Perhaps that was due to less pressure and having Giteau there as a bit more of a mentor. If I were the coach(es) I'd use him mostly off the bench in the Super 14, play him outside Matt Toomua at inside centre for the JWC and then bring him back to the Wallabies for the end of year tour. Not too much rugby but enough to see him develop a lot as a player.

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    Senior Player Bronski Beat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by James View Post
    I think JO'C proved this year that he was more mature rugbywise than Beale and Cooper were at his age. He barely put a foot wrong in any of the Super 14 games or Tests that I saw. Perhaps that was due to less pressure and having Giteau there as a bit more of a mentor. If I were the coach(es) I'd use him mostly off the bench in the Super 14, play him outside Matt Toomua at inside centre for the JWC and then bring him back to the Wallabies for the end of year tour. Not too much rugby but enough to see him develop a lot as a player.
    What? He is a kid with talent as were Beale and Cooper. Beale is now a myth, Cooper might come good. Beale played alot of S14 Rugby and was exposed. O'Connor is just the next big thing, the next flash in the pan, if he can lift to Gittys level remains to be seen. Remember, Gits has played alot of Rugby.

    If you remember, they were all whiz kids, I remember a young Drew Mitchell in Qantas ads....Or Aussie Clyde Rathbone was at one stage the savior....

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    Hasta la vista Pam

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bronski Beat View Post
    What? He is a kid with talent as were Beale and Cooper. Beale is now a myth, Cooper might come good. Beale played alot of S14 Rugby and was exposed. O'Connor is just the next big thing, the next flash in the pan, if he can lift to Gittys level remains to be seen. Remember, Gits has played alot of Rugby.

    If you remember, they were all whiz kids, I remember a young Drew Mitchell in Qantas ads....Or Aussie Clyde Rathbone was at one stage the savior....
    I didn't say he was a superstar I just said he was better than Beale and Cooper when they were 18. Beale was suspect in defense, was far from reliable as a kicker and generally really struggled. Cooper's ball handling was shown up a fair few times and both of them suffered from some pretty big brain explosions.

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    Veteran TOCC's Avatar
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    both beale and cooper played a lot more time in a harder positions thoug
    you cant exactly compare them

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    Veteran mudskipper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by James View Post
    I didn't say he was a superstar I just said he was better than Beale and Cooper when they were 18. Beale was suspect in defense, was far from reliable as a kicker and generally really struggled. Cooper's ball handling was shown up a fair few times and both of them suffered from some pretty big brain explosions.
    I think its too early to make that call......mmmmmm... too much Buzz...


    Lets hope he is the next rugby star... However in reality it takes time, a few seasons to be a playmaker who can change a games outcome... JOC needs genuine game time on the field…for lengthy periods…

    but the kids got promise...


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    Last edited by mudskipper; 30-01-09 at 19:41.

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    Quote Originally Posted by TOCC View Post
    both beale and cooper played a lot more time in a harder positions thoug
    you cant exactly compare them
    and are they anything special now?? James must be brought into this as slow as possible He is only 18 and if they play him to much to early he will end up like Clyde Rathbone (Spelling??) with a heap of hospital bills and a partially ruined rugby career

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    Quote Originally Posted by pieter blackie View Post
    and are they anything special now?? James must be brought into this as slow as possible He is only 18 and if they play him to much to early he will end up like Clide Rathbone (Spelling??) with a heap of hospital bills and a partially ruined rugby career
    everyone has there own opinion, my point was you cant compare the exposure that beale and cooper had as opposed to JOC.

    I dont think he is a clyde rathbone case either, that bloke is just unluck with his knee injuries and i didnt really have anything to do with how soon he was blooded. If you want to look at a similar case, then look at Benji Marshall, he was brought through way to soon, he is now a walking medicare bill.

    I agree that he should be blooded reasonably slow, i would expect a lot more from him in 2009, by 2010 he really should be a regular starting player.

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    Legend Contributor brokendown gunfighter's Avatar
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    Quite frankly he should be left on the bench until the last 20-25 minutes when the game gets a little looser & he can exploit the gaps that will occur

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    Veteran TOCC's Avatar
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    well yeah, i somewhat agree, but in terms of development he will need to face a tighter defence to really develop properly.

    All they need to do IMO, is start him against team with less physical centres and get him to play a full game. So he might start 5 or 6 games throughout the year and the rest coming off the bench. But i suppose at what expense does come in terms of building team cohesion.

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