Inside job beckons for the Force's golden-haired boy

[travelling_gerry]

Bret Harris From: The Australian February 07, 2011 12:00AM



WALLABIES wonder boy James O'Connor is ready to "have a crack" at his preferred inside centre position for the Western Force in this year's Super Rugby series.

O'Connor, who has established himself as a goal-kicking winger with the Wallabies, has played five-eighth, inside centre and fullback since making his debut for the Force in 2008.

While he has predominantly played fullback, there has always been an assumption the 20-year-old would eventually work his way back to the front line.

With his ability to break the line, clever passing and kicking, and improved defence, now seems like the time.

"I really enjoy playing 12," O'Connor said. "Just getting my hands on the ball a little bit more and getting involved in defence a little bit. I play pretty similar in both positions.

"I think I'm ready for it. I've put on a fair bit of size from when I first came in. I'd like to think my defence is up to scratch now. I'm ready to have a crack.



"I've got a good understanding with Woody (Force coach Richard Graham). We've had some good talks. He thinks I'm ready for 12."

Graham was non-committal about where O'Connor would play, saying it depended on the make-up of the rest of the backline.

The Force has plenty of outside backs in Cameron Shepherd, Mark Bartholomeusz, Nick Cummins, David Smith, Alfi Mafi and Mitch Inman, while Gene Fairbanks is probably the team's only other option at inside centre.

"It just depends how the rest of the backline comes up. The kid has proved he can play anywhere successfully," Graham said.

"It depends on how the rest of the backline functions as to where Rabbit (O'Connor) will find himself.

"The one thing about James is the awareness of his distribution has improved over the last 12 months. He is now a genuine option."

Graham sidestepped whether O'Connor, who played fullback and five-eighth in the Force's 40-24 win against the Australian Barbarians in sweltering heat at Sydney's T.G. Millner Field on Saturday, would play inside centre in the trial against NSW Waratahs in Nowra on Thursday night.

"He'll definitely have more game time and whether that involves him at 12, just wait and see," Graham said.

Graham indicated Wallaby number eight Ben McCalman would start at the back of the scrum, breaking up the established back-row combination of David Pocock, Matt Hodgson and Richard Brown.

"You want to get your best team on the field week in week out," Graham said. "But we are also conscious of Pocock and Hodgson, their workload throughout the season and how we manage that."

Graham was pleased with the Force's performance against the Barbarians, which was a tactical dress rehearsal for their opening match of the season with the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.

"[I am] really happy with the first 40 minutes of it," said Graham, who caught the red-eye flight to Sydney from Darwin on Friday night after attending the Reds' win against the Brumbies.

"Early on we went in with a really clear plan to attack the 10-channel and bring our forwards into the game. That paid dividends."

Shepherd and Bartholomeusz will return from injury for the Waratahs trial.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1226001079334

[travelling_gerry]

Greg Growden CHIEF RUGBY CORRESPONDENT
February 7, 2011
WALLABIES winger James O'Connor trialled at fullback and five-eighth for the Western Force in Sydney at the weekend, but is likely to end up at No.12 when the Super Rugby season starts in 11 days.

Yet O'Connor has no qualms about being shunted around the Wallabies or Force back lines, but he does have a preference for inside-centre.

O'Connor and the rest of the Force squad spent the weekend in Sydney preparing for their final trial match, against the Waratahs in Nowra on Thursday night. And they experienced at first-hand the Sydney heatwave, playing a trial against the Australian Barbarians at TG Millner Field in stifling conditions late on Saturday afternoon.

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When the teams ran on at 5.30pm, the temperature was still above 100 degrees (38C) in Fahrenheit terms, prompting the trial to be cut from 80 to 60 minutes. But it was still tough for the Force, who had stayed in bunk beds at a nearby bushland convention centre with only limited airconditioning. To make matters worse, halfback Brett Sheehan was bitten on the finger by a possum during the night.

O'Connor was luckier, avoiding any physical contact with any hairy marsupials, and then surviving the match heat. He played most of the match, won by the Force 40-24, at fullback, then moved into five-eighth during the final stages, replacing New Zealand recruit Willie Ripia.

The 25-year-old former Hurricanes and Taranaki player did enough to suggest he would hold on to the five-eighth spot when the Force play their first Super round match against the Reds in Brisbane on February 20. And with Cameron Shepherd, who did not play at Millner Field but is expected to trial against the Waratahs on Thursday, anticipated to be the Force fullback, a move to the midfield appears imminent for O'Connor.

''We have a pretty solid number 10 in Willie and a solid back three as well … so I could be slotting into number 15 or number 12,'' O'Connor said after the trial. ''They're the two positions I'll probably be playing mostly.''

However, it was clear O'Connor, who provided one of the Wallabies highlights of last year when his last-minute conversion in Hong Kong enabled them to end a 10-match losing streak against the All Blacks, has a preference for the centres.

''I do really enjoy playing at number 12 because it enables me to get my hands on the ball a bit more, as well as getting involved in the defence,'' O'Connor said. ''I think I'm ready for it. I've put on a bit of size, and I'd like to think my defence is up to scratch now.''

When new Force coach Richard Graham was asked where O'Connor would end up in his back line, he said: ''That's a good question. It depends on how the rest of the back line functions. The kid has proved he can play anywhere successfully.

''The good thing about James is that his awareness and distribution has improved over the last 12 months. So he is now a genuine option there [at No.12].''

While star Force back-rower David Pocock will not play in Nowra, as he will be rested until the start of the Super Rugby season, captain Nathan Sharpe said he was a ''50-50'' chance of playing against the Reds after undergoing laparoscopic surgery to repair a hernia.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...206-1aigd.html

[Guru]

The more he can get his hands on the ball the better. I hope he starts at 12 if Ripia is going ok at 10. Inman at 13. Looks good for the Force.

[Burgs]

He was pretty bloody good at it in his debut year, can't see why he would have gotten worse.

[GIGS20]

I guess that'd be not having "the world's best player" inside him.

But seriously, He probably made Gits look good that year, and has suffered a bit from Gits not being as good as he looked.

[Stone Cold]

I guess that'd be not having "the world's best player" inside him.

But seriously, He probably made Gits look good that year, and has suffered a bit from Gits not being as good as he looked.

Gee gigs - for someone who doesn't like Gits you seem to write about him an awful lot...