Wallabies playmaker James O'Connor admits he'd be willing to entertain a shock move to fullback as they prepare for the first Test against England on July 3.
O'Connor started his Wallabies career at the back, however, last featured there at the International level in the 2011 Rugby World Cup against Russia.
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With their 2021 Super Rugby AU MVP back to full fitness, the 31-year-old revealed whilst his focus remains at flyhalf, the idea has been floated in the past by coach Dave Rennie.
“If Dave (Rennie) wants me to, I’ll put my hand up and play 15 for sure,” he told reporters.
“We spoke about it a little last year and I think this year has been all about playing ten and improving my game and the little things I could benefit from.
“It’s just been ten this year but to be fair, we haven’t had too much communication, when you’re in Super season, it’s eyes on the prize there and now we’re in, we’ll see what happens.”
O'Connor will battle the returning Quade Cooper and Brumbies star Noah Lolesio for the starting job against England, excited about testing himself.
“It’s high competition. Each of us play in our own unique way and we all have different strengths and weaknesses but it’s going to be a good, tough battle,” he believes.
“We’ll see what happens in the next few weeks of training and see where the cards lie.”
With a packed International schedule on the horizon, O'Connor and the Wallabies were out to build consistency as they begin the build for the World Cup in under 18 months time.
“We want to build from last year but (as) we’ve discussed as a group, there’s plenty to work on,” he believes.
“We went throughout parameters and levelled ourselves against the benchmarks and powerhouses nations and we were missing the mark quite a bit.
“From my perspective, the goal is consistency. It’s not about having one good performance and wiping down, you want to be a well-oiled machine when you get on the field so people know you’re going to perform as a group each time.
“England are going to come over strong with a good squad and group, with plenty of players to pick from. For our perspective, we’re focusing on ourselves and then we go from there.”
