O'Connor heading back Down Under

[wholetruth]

What's new. He said the same thing a couple of weeks ago but the media treats it as a new story

[jono]

The flipside of that is he's so signed for Toulon twice in the last month or so too

[travelling_gerry]

Reports in France claim big-spending Top 14 side Toulon have agreed a one-year deal with sacked Wallabies star James O'Connor.
The news was reportedly announced by the club’s president Mourad Boudjellal on Thursday with the 23-year-old Queenslander to complete this season with London Irish before linking up with Toulon for the start of the 2014/2015 season.
Should O'Connor make the switch and play the full season, it would almost certainly rule him out of the Rugby World Cup which takes place in England next September.
A move to Toulon, however, could jeopardise O'Connor's prospects of playing in the 2015 World Cup as Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has gone on record as saying that any player who wants to be considered must play for an Australian province.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...#ixzz2sa92FnZ9

[MI5_Dog]

I'm at that point where I have ceased to care what Mr O'Conner does or doesn't do.
I think the less attention he gets by the rugby community and the news papers the better it will be for everyone, including himself.

[RugbyRef]

Can we make this an O'Connor free zone please. Bored of the circus now.

[jargan83]

Why would a thread about James O'Connor become a James O'Conner free zone?

[jono]

*sigh*
In this weeks installment: ...

[Invictus]

I couldn't give a flying rats arse what he does or where he goes. It isn't as if he is a crucial missing part of the wallabies back line.

[Alison]

That was so yesterday's news. Today, he's only signed with Toulon for 6 months. Just another day in the life of a rugby player struggling to remain relevant...

[beige]

We still haven't heard from O'Connor this whole time - I'll believe it when we hear something from him rather than whatever 180 degree contradiction the press throws up this week.

[jargan83]

We still haven't heard from O'Connor this whole time - I'll believe it when we hear something from him rather than whatever 180 degree contradiction the press throws up this week.

Pffft common sense.

[Happy]

There is no value in having a potentially disruptive player join the team for 1 year. It adds no value.

There is no value in having a potentially disruptive player JOC full stop!

[GIGS20]

And in breaking news, a reporter tosses a coin and uses the result to predict where JOC will play rugby next year

[wholetruth]

Force still in O'Connor's plans

Nick Taylor The West Australian

Sacked Wallabies star James O'Connor will join big-spending French side Toulon - but it will not rule him out of a return to the Western Force for the 2015 season in a bid to claim a World Cup spot.

O'Connor's manager David Shand confirmed that a one-year deal had been struck with the French Top 14 club for their 2014-15 season but said O'Connor still wanted to return to Australia to become eligible for the Wallabies.

It is understood O'Connor's new contract will include a clause allowing him to leave Toulon if a Super Rugby club agrees to sign him.

He is expected to chase a two-year Super Rugby deal and it is understood the Force have been kept informed of his intentions.

They could re-open talks with O'Connor but a return would be strictly on the club's terms and if he re-signed they would want him in Perth in December.

Coach Michael Foley said: "We are not going to be a stop-over point for people who have other goals and are not focused on the ones we have at the club."

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has told O'Connor he would need to be playing with an Australian Super Rugby franchise if he wanted to be considered for the World Cup.

The Force were favourites to re-sign their prodigal son when he was released by the Melbourne Rebels and the Wallabies following a drunken incident at Perth airport in September when he was escorted from the premises for arguing with airline staff but he moved to London Irish to play in the English Premiership.

[jono]

Lol. The force won't be a stopover, but Toulon will...
Fair enough. Let's see how that goes