O’Connor to become the everywhere man

[Burgs]

He'll be getting plenty of match time post '09, no point overcooking him now.

[jono]

let's experiment with the best new talent in australian rugby... even though he has his own preferred posistions from playing the game since he was how old?

this, and the hype that this will create, is enough to burn out a new player unused to all the hype and attention...
next bonds will get rid of that useless swimmer and target(pardon the pun) him. then he will really be in for it

[TOCC]

its not really burning him out, he is from WA where the majority of people dont even know any of the Force players, on top of that even if he gets 6 or 7 caps, i doubt he will make the wallabies in 2009 unless he plays exceptionally anyway.

On top of that without AusA, he will only have club rugby to go back to, which i hardly think will burn him out...

[waratahjesus]

i agree with TOCC, you cant compare him to beale and cooper, cooper is starting to mature and like beale, they were both thrown into harder positions and asked to run a team while JOC has been playing around the fringes.

with beale i think morgans comments earlier this week were spot on http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/w...818638192.html

but beale had a good season last year, he led the tahs well and took some very good options, we fell apart in the final without him, if he stays healthy this year the team will be far more competitive than without him, i think that says that he lives up to the hype.

[Burgs]

To think that anywhere except maybe the Wing is "the fringes" in pro Rugby is pretty naive, there is nowhere to hide in S14 or a Test.

The point others were making earlier was "At the same age", ie at 18.
You can't compare JO'C to the '08 Beale and '08 Cooper as he hasn't had a second season yet.
The matches he did play he didn't look out of his depth or out classed in any way, including defensively, which you couldn't say about the other two in their first season.

[mudskipper]

How many Super 14 minutes has O'connor had?

[GIGS20]

I was surprised when the article said he'd played 4 games Muddy, it can't be too many!

[mudskipper]

and likely most of those matches were off the bench... it all takes time without risk to the team result each week to develop a young back... I believe Mitch will develop him appropriately… Coops and Beale had to step in because of lack of depth in their given squads due to injury…

JOC should have more time developing in the 7s…. if the force could let him go every now and then. It could develop him faster…

[blueandblack]

[youtube]nq3Q0MtXBi8[/youtube]

[waratahjesus]

To think that anywhere except maybe the Wing is "the fringes" in pro Rugby is pretty naive, there is nowhere to hide in S14 or a Test.

The point others were making earlier was "At the same age", ie at 18.
You can't compare JO'C to the '08 Beale and '08 Cooper as he hasn't had a second season yet.
The matches he did play he didn't look out of his depth or out classed in any way, including defensively, which you couldn't say about the other two in their first season.

sorry burgs, i used the word fringes to lightly, i meant that he was subbed on and rarely lined up against fresh defence. he also from what i saw and you probably watched him more closely to me so correct me if im worng, but he seemed to be given a licence to wander a bit when he was on.

coming off the bench and being put into games selectivly is alot different to when a team has seen you play and you line up against them from minute one. he wont have the same impact this year as he did last year, and as he becomes a more regular starter teams will work him out a bit better. he seems to have the tools but he has to develop his rugby brain to go with it if he is going to become a superstar!

i think someone like giteau as good as he is had his decision making hampered a bit by being outside gregs and larkham, he never had to make the calls and i think that reflects on his decision making now.

cooper has barnes to guide him, beale is pretty much on his own. and as for defence, has JOC played at 5/8? cos beale4 and cooper (while not the best defenders) get targeted for more reasons than that, they also get targeted to wear them out so there not ready for the next phase of attack!

[James]

sorry burgs, i used the word fringes to lightly, i meant that he was subbed on and rarely lined up against fresh defence. he also from what i saw and you probably watched him more closely to me so correct me if im worng, but he seemed to be given a licence to wander a bit when he was on.

coming off the bench and being put into games selectivly is alot different to when a team has seen you play and you line up against them from minute one. he wont have the same impact this year as he did last year, and as he becomes a more regular starter teams will work him out a bit better. he seems to have the tools but he has to develop his rugby brain to go with it if he is going to become a superstar!

i think someone like giteau as good as he is had his decision making hampered a bit by being outside gregs and larkham, he never had to make the calls and i think that reflects on his decision making now.

cooper has barnes to guide him, beale is pretty much on his own. and as for defence, has JOC played at 5/8? cos beale4 and cooper (while not the best defenders) get targeted for more reasons than that, they also get targeted to wear them out so there not ready for the next phase of attack!

JO'C has played 6 games of senior rugby- 4 Super 14 and 2 Tests. He has started 4 of these games. Against the Chiefs, Brumbies and Hurricanes he started at 12 and against the Barbarians he started at full back. Against the Chiefs they put a lot of pressure on O'Connor especially under the high ball. Against the Hurricanes he was lined up against Ma'a Nonu from the first minute. The following week he faced up against Tyrone Smith.

Consider yourself corrected WJ.

You and Burgs are right though about this year being the one that really matters.

[mudskipper]

So the Force backline: 9 valentine, 10 Giteau, 11 Mitchell, 12 Staniforth, 13 Cross, 14……………..?, 15 Shepherd... So James O'Connor 14 or utility back...

Fullbacks/wingers: Sare, Cummins, Haylett-Petty
Centres: Tatupu, Pelesasa
Flyhalves: Daruda (also 12),
Scrum halves: Turner, O'Young

Mitchell has to develop all players not just JOC for the betterment of the whole team…depth is king in S14…

looks to like JOC will be a utility back covering the back 3 and at times 12....

[waratahjesus]

did he finish all four games he started? and lets not count the barbarians match, it was woefull and played without the spirit its meant to be!

[James]

did he finish all four games he started? and lets not count the barbarians match, it was woefull and played without the spirit its meant to be!

Does it matter:

"coming off the bench and being put into games selectivly is alot different to when a team has seen you play and you line up against them from minute one. he wont have the same impact this year as he did last year, and as he becomes a more regular starter teams will work him out a bit better. he seems to have the tools but he has to develop his rugby brain to go with it if he is going to become a superstar!"

I think he was subbed at about the 60 minute mark in all the games he's started if memory serves.

[waratahjesus]

"being put into games selectivly is alot different to when a team has seen you play and you line up against them from minute one. he wont have the same impact this year as he did last year"

sorry, he was still selectivly used, he will be worked out better this year and will have to step up again if his development is to continue! and i will quote myself to finish

"he seems to have the tools but he has to develop his rugby brain to go with it if he is going to become a superstar!"